Dimple Yadav files nomination in Kannauj; Cong, BJP not to contest

Dimple Yadav, wife of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, today filed her nomination for the Lok Sabha by-election from Kannauj where Congress decided not to enter the fray, reflecting the growing bonhomie between the two parties ahead of Presidential poll.

35-year-old Dimple, who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress' Raj Babbar in the by-polls for the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat in 2009, may have a smooth run in the June 24 election in view of the fact BJP has also decided not to put up its candidate and the BSP still undecided.

Accompanied by her husband, Dimple, filed the papers before the returning officer after both of them addressed a rally.

Seeing a buffer in SP, which provides outside support to the UPA government, Congress is keen to covet the party's 68,000 vote value in the Presidential election as a quid pro quo.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, however, sought to disguise the party strategy saying, "we had not contested the seat in the 2009 Lok Sabha election and we are not contesting it now."

The Kannauj by-election has been necessitated following the resignation of Akhilesh Yadav after his election to the Legislative Council.

However, what is surprising is the decision of BJP not to enter the fray in Kannauj and the BSP keeping the suspense about its strategy.

At the meeting of BJP election Committee here, it was decided not to contest Kannauj by-polls claiming that party's priority was local bodies elections in which it was focussing.