Firoz Rozindar 

The incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav enter the Uttar Pradesh Assembly for the first time in direct elections. Both leaders are set to win from Gorakhpur and Karhal assembly constituencies respectively. 

Though both of them held the post of CM of Uttar Pradesh, by becoming MLC and not MLA. But this time in the elections, Yogi and Akhilesh decided to contest in the assembly polls in order to instill confidence among their supporters and the voters.

It was first speculated that the BJP high command will field Yogi from Ayodhya, the temple town of the State, however, at the last moment, the party chose Gorakhpur for him.

Maybe because the party did not want Yogi to face a tough challenge by fielding him from Ayodhya. For Yogi, Gorakhpur is more like a home as he has won the MP election from the same district for five terms in the past.

As far as Akhilesh is concerned, it was speculated from SP that he may contest from Azamghar or Mainpuri segment. But he chose to contest from Karhal seat in Mainpuri district.

While the SP had fielded Shubhvati Shukla against Yogi, the BJP had pitted Union Minister S. P. Singh Baghel against Akhilesh.

Interestingly, Baghel was one of the close aides of Mulayam Singh Yadav and he gained political popularity after being identified with SP. But owing to some personal differences, Baghel severed his years of ties with the SP and joined the BJP.

The BJP offered him a ticket to contest against Akhilesh from Karhal constituency. Since the BJP is all set to form the government again for the second term, Yogi will certainly become the CM of the largest state of the country.

The only difference is that he will be going to the CM office through legislative assembly doors and not legislative council doors.

In all likelihood, Akhilesh will be shouldering the responsibility of the leader of the opposition in the 403-member assembly.