Thaindian News

Lucknow, May 23 (IANS) The two-month-old Akhilesh Yadav government in the state is set to face the first test of its popularity — or the lack of it — as the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency goes for a bypoll.

According to the Election Commission (EC) schedule announced Tuesday, voting for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat will be held on June 24. The votes will be counted on June 27.

The notification for the bypoll would be issued on May 30. The last date for filing nominations is June 6 and after scrutiny the next day, the last date for withdrawal of nominations has been fixed on June 9, Chief Electoral Officer (UP) Umesh Sinha told IANS.

The Kannauj seat fell vacant after its three-time member of parliament Akhilesh Yadav was elected the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, forcing a bypoll.

The seat falls in the party pocket borough of the Farrukhabad belt, which had traditionally voted for the Socialist Party candidates and sent the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to the Lok Sabha once.

Considered a safe seat, the SP chief had chosen it for his son’s political debut and fielded him in the fray in 2000.

Rumours are rife that Akhilesh’s better half Dimple would be contesting a bypoll and make her foray into politics. She had earlier been introduced to politics in the 2009 bypoll from Firozabad parliamentary seat, but lost the contest to cine star-turned politician and Congress candidate Raj Babbar.

With the announcement of the bypoll, the model code of conduct has also come into force. The state government or any other party would not be able to announce any sops, affecting the voting pattern, election officials said.