Mulayam Singh Yadav to field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli

LUCKNOW: SP is bracing to field candidates against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in a tit-for-tat move. State Congress chief Nirmal Khatri had recently said his party would consider putting up candidates against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri and Kannauj, respectively. On Thursday,

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav elevated minister of state GP Prajapati as a minister with independent charge in a minor ministry reshuffle. Prajapati is expected to play a role in countering Congress in the Gandhi stronghold of Rae Bareli and Amethi.

Prajapati is an MLA from Amethi and has seen a steady rise in the SP hierarchy. Congress was nearly wiped out in the Rae Bareli and Amethi region in the 2012 assembly polls despite Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi campaign.

ATTEMPTS TO CORNER BENI

The Cabinet reshuffle also signalled that SP would try to corner Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma. Significant was the elevation of MoS RM Verma as a Cabinet minister.

He is a Kurmi leader and is expected to counter the influence of Beni in the community. Ram Murti is an MLA from Dadraul in Ambedkarnagar district which is adjacent to Beni’s area of influence in Gonda and Bara Banki.

Beni is known for his verbal attack on Mulayam. Despite being ticked off by Congress, Beni has maintained his attack on MSY, much to the annoyance of the SP leadership.