Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP bets on 'Nirahua' Dinesh Lal Yadav to win Akhilesh turf Azamgarh

The Azamgarh MP's journey began as a Biraha singer, and he gained early fame with the success of his music album Nirahua Satal Rahe in 2003, which earned him the name 'Nirahua'.

Bhojpuri sensation Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as 'Nirahua,' has been nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its Azamgarh constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

Political Journey

Dinesh Lal Yadav is a renowned actor from the Bhojpuri film industry and is currently serving as an MP from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh. He will be contesting again from the stronghold of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

In the 2022 by-elections, he secured victory over SP's Dharmendra Yadav with a margin of nearly 9,000 votes. SP's Akhilesh Yadav had previously won the seat in 2019 but later vacated it after winning an assembly seat in the 2022 UP legislative elections.

Hailing from the prestigious Biraha family of Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, Nirahua joined the BJP in 2017 and had first contested against Akhilesh Yadav in the 2019 polls.

The Bhojpuri Entertainment Industry's 'Nirahua'

The Azamgarh MP's journey began as a Biraha singer, and he gained early fame with the success of his music album Nirahua Satal Rahe in 2003, which earned him the name "Nirahua".

He ventured into acting with the Bhojpuri drama Humka Aisa Waisa Na Samjha in 2006, further fortifying his position in the industry with notable roles in films like Chalat Mushafir Moh Liyo Re, Nirahuwa Rikshaw Wala, and Pratigya, among others. His collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan in the movie Ganga Devi in 2012 received attention. Later that year,  he also appeared as a contestant on Bigg Boss 6.

Nirahua's milestone 50th film, Nirahua Hindustani, was a significant success, and he continued to deliver hits with films like Patna Se Pakistan and Border, known for their patriotic themes.

He expanded his horizon with projects like Nirahua Chalal London, a Bhojpuri film shot in London, and his debut on OTT platforms with the web series Hero Vardiwala, marking the first-ever Bhojpuri-language web series.

The 'Yadav' influence

Historically, the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, with the dominance of the Yadav community, has remained a significant battleground in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. With 86 percent rural and 14 percent urban voters, Azamgarh primarily represents a rural landscape.

In this constituency, there is a significant Scheduled Caste population of 25.1 percent and a sizable Muslim population of 15 percent, alongside an 80 percent Hindu majority.

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Yadavs wield considerable influence in Azamgarh, with 14 out of 19 MPs elected from this community. From 1996 to 2009, Ramakant Yadav made history by winning on SP, BSP, and BJP tickets. Ram Naresh Yadav, former Chief Minister of UP and Governor of Madhya Pradesh won as a Janata Party candidate in 1977.

In 2022, SP's Akhilesh Yadav vacated the seat to contest state elections, leading to a by-election. It was then that the BJP fielded Dinesh Lal Yadav against Dharmendra Yadav, Akhilesh's cousin, from SP. In a fiercely competitive contest, Dinesh Lal secured a narrow victory.

Apart from Dinesh Lal, the BJP has nominated three other Bhojpuri celebrities for the Lok Sabha Elections, including Pawan Singh, Manoj Tiwari, and Ravi Kishan.

The Election Commission declared on March 16 that voting across Uttar Pradesh's 80 constituencies will occur over seven phases, starting from April 19 and concluding on June 1. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.