The crucial assembly by-election for the Karhal assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh that has attracted all eyes turned out to be a family affair contested between the sons-in-law of late Mulayam Singh Yadav, and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The candidate from the SP is former MP Tej Pratap Yadav, who is the son-in-law of Lalu Prasad Yadav while the BJP candidate Anujesh Yadav is the son-in-law of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The entire Yadav family is campaigning in Karhal for their respective candidates but most of them have sided with Tej Pratap. Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, had permanently camped in Mainpuri campaigning with her family.

If we look at the situation, not only Akhilesh Yadav but the reputation of the entire Saifai family is also at stake in the Karhal by-election. Political experts say if SP’s vote bank decreases in Karhal and BJP gains, then its big message will go to the entire country. This is the reason why, along with many ministers, CM Yogi has also held public meetings here twice with an appeal for a change this time.

Though a BSP candidate too is in the fray, his presence is here no more than as a ‘vote katwa’.

Among the 2.07 lakh electorate in the seat, Brahmins and Dalits together hold the lead with over 1 lakh votes followed by other backward classes and upper caste votes.

As much as the name of this assembly seat in Mainpuri is settled, the political equations here are equally complicated. Karhal is also one of the four assembly seats in the district.

Since the formation of the assembly segment, except for the 2002 elections, SP’s dominance remained intact. In 2002, Sobran Singh Yadav became MLA on a BJP ticket. After this, he joined the SP and was elected MLA from here on a party ticket for three consecutive times later on.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav decided to contest the assembly elections in 2022 with Sobran Singh being one of his proposers. Akhilesh contested the elections from Karhal and won by defeating BJP candidate, Union Minister Dr. SP Singh Baghel.

After winning the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj in 2024, he resigned from Karhal. The contest for the Karhal seat which has its own identity in politics is even more interesting this time.

SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav is married to Lalu Prasad’s younger daughter Rajlakshmi.

The BJP candidate, Anujesh Yadav, is married to Sandhya alias Baby Yadav, daughter of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger brother Abhayram Yadav and sister of MP Dharmendra Yadav. BJP candidate Anujesh is also the brother-in-law of former chief minister and SP president, Akhilesh Yadav.

In such a situation, Karhal’s contest has become a topic of discussion in politics this time. Here, the reputation of not only the two leaders but also the two former chief ministers is also becoming a question. Not only Uttar Pradesh, but the eyes of the entire state are fixed on this election.

After joining the BJP in 2019, his brother-in-law MP Dharmendra Yadav ended relations with Anujesh Pratap. For this, he had formally announced this by issuing a letter.

SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav and BJP candidate Anujesh Yadav are also close relatives. Anujesh Yadav’s wife Sandhya Yadav is Tej Pratap Yadav’s aunt. In such a situation, there is a relationship between nephew and uncle. But both are now saying that the party is above relationships. Before 2019, Anujesh Yadav was also in the SP. His wife Sandhya Yadav has also been District Panchayat President Mainpuri from SP in 2015.