Kannauj by-poll: Dimple Yadav elected unopposed

Dimple Yadav, wife of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was on Saturday declared elected unopposed from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat after two candidates in the fray against her withdrew their nominations for the by-poll.

District election officer Selva Kumari J made an announcement to this effect in Kannauj on Saturday afternoon.

Thirty-five-year-old Dimple Yadav would be the second woman to represent the constituency. Earlier in 1984, Sheila Dixit, who is now the Delhi Chief Minister, was elected from Kannauj.

After the withdrawal of names by both the candidates Dashrath Singh Shankwar (Samyukt Samajwadi Dal) and Sanju Katiyar (independent) yesterday, the election of Dimple Yadav was a mere formality .

After

the Congress and Bahujan Samaja Party decided against fielding their nominees and the BJP candidate failed to file his nomination papers at the last minute, Dimple was expected to get a walkover on the seat vacated by her husband Akhilesh Yadav when he became the chief minister and was elected to the Legislative Council. She filed her nomination papers on Tuesday.

She had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress' Raj Babbar in the by-polls for the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat in 2009.

The Congress had opted not to contest the election in Kannauj, saying it did not field its candidate even in 2009 elections and the BSP had decided to keep away from the by-poll alleging the ruling party of continuing with its tradition of nepotism by fielding Dimple.