Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav to contest by-polls from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday fielded Dimple Yadav, former MP and wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency.
The seat was vacant after the death of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. "The party declares Dimple Yadav as party candidate of Mainpuri bypoll," Samajwadi Party said in a tweet.
The polling for the by-poll will take place on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 8, coinciding with the result dates of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
Samajwadi Party Patron Mulayam Singh Yadav died on October 10 at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He took his last breath at 8:16 am. Mulayam Singh was cremated on October 11 at 3 pm at the Mela Ground in Saifai. Mulayam Singh Yadav was 82 years old.
Notably, Mainpuri is considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party.
By-elections will also be held in Odisha's Padampur, Rajasthan's Sardarshahar, Bihar's Kurhani, Chhattisgarh's Bhanupratappur(ST) and Uttar Pradesh's Rampur from where Samajwadi Party MLA Azam Khan was disqualified after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case last month.
The last date for filing nominations is November 17, while the date of scrutiny for nominations is November 18. The candidates will be able to withdraw their candidature till November 21. (ANI)