UP Polls: Chandra Shekhar Azad's ASP starts ground-level campaigning in Gorakhpur to fight against Adityanath

Gorakhpur (UP): The Azad Samaj Party is mobilising the youth to hold "nukkad sabhas" in every ward of the Gorakhpur Urban constituency, from where its chief Chandra Shekhar Azad is set to contest against CM Yogi Adityanath in the UP Assembly polls.

The party said it has drawn inspiration from Dalit icon Kanshi Ram, a claim contested by a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, who termed it a 'marketing gimmick'.

Azad, who is popularly called "Ravan" and had founded the Bhim Army, was the first known politician to throw his hat in the ring against Adityanath. No other party has declared their candidate on this high-profile seat, where voting will be held in the sixth phase of the Assembly polls on March 3.

Azad Samaj Party core committee member Mohammad Aquib told PTI, "Our party is forming groups of the youth, who will do 'nukkad sabhas' in the strength of four to five persons to reach out to voters in every ward of the constituency." He claimed their poll campaign on social media has already gained pace.

"Drawing inspiration from Kanshi Ram, we have formed our 'sena' (army) connecting with people in every ward of the Gorakhpur Urban constituency," he said.

The 36-year-old Azad who has emerged as a prominent Dalit face had earlier made efforts for a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party. But when things did not materialise, he decided to go alone. Azad declared himself a candidate from Gorakhpur Urban seat to take on Adityanath.

"This election will be a fight between 'dhan tantra' (money power) and 'jan tantra' (people's power). Our election will be fought by the common man as this battle of ballots is against feudal thinking," Aquib said, adding his party has drawn a strategy to mobilise support of SCs, backwards, minorities and other deprived sections.

BJP's national council member Sant Raj Yadav dismissed Azad's challenge.

"People like Azad will have no impact against Yogiji. People here even do not know him (Azad)," Yadav, who lives in Gorakhpur, said.

Gorakhpur Urban constituency has around 4.5 lakh voters, of which around 75,000 belong to backward castes and around 50,000 to the SC community. Muslims electors are around 40,000.

BJP's Radha Mohan Das Agarwal has been winning elections from Gorakhpur Urban seat continuously since 2002. But this time he has made way for Adityanath.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, Agarwal had defeated SP-Congress joint candidate Rana Rahul Singh by around 61,000 votes. BSP's Janardan Chaudhary had stood third with 24,297 votes on the seat.