As Akhilesh Yadav’s Rallies in Azamgarh Stand Cancelled, SP and District Magistrate Indulge in Blame Game

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party cancelled all four election rallies of its party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh to be held on Friday stating budgetary constraints on the last day of campaigning for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Accusing the party workers of favouring BJP candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahuha’, SP district chief Hawaldar Yadav said that the four rallies of Akhilesh Yadav scheduled in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh on Friday might be cancelled.

However, the District Magistrate Azamgarh claimed that it received a request for cancellation of public meetings of the former chief minister from its district party chief.

Confirming that the district administration had nothing to do with the cancellation, DM Azamgarh Shivakant Dwivedi said, “We have received a letter from Samajwadi Party stating that all the public rallies by Akhilesh Yadav stand cancelled for May 10, hence kindly cancel the permission for helipad and helicopter with immediate effect.”

While, the Observer of Election Commission had issued a notice to all the parties regarding the spending limit of the candidates, after which the Samajwadi Party got their rallies cancelled themselves, he added.

According to the EC guidelines, a candidate can spend up to Rs 70 lakh during his election. This includes expenses incurred from election office expenses, publicity and public meetings. EC has set rates for this, based on which the district administration keeps account of the expenditure.

It is believed that Akhilesh Yadav has reached the election expenditure limit of Rs 70 lakh rupees. In such a situation, if he crosses the limit of 70 lakhs after the public meetings then the commission can take action against him.

The Azamgarh parliamentary seat goes for polling on 12th May in the sixth phase and the campaigning in Azamgarh officially ends on Thursday evening. The Samajwadi Party Chief and former Chief Minister of the state Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Azamgarh, the seat which was won by SP Patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party has fielded Bhojpuri actor and singer Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirhaua’ against Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh.