BJP MP Nirahua Becomes Azamgarh Candidate Once Again (Image: @nirahua1)Dinesh Lal Yadav is famously known as ‘Nirahua’ after his Bhojpuri album ‘Nirahua Satal Rahe’. A Bhojpuri singer and actor by profession, Dinesh Lal Yadav has won the 2022 Azamgarh Lok Sabha by-elections on a BJP ticket after defeating Dharmendra Yadav, cousin of Akhilesh Yadav. Dinesh got the nomination for the Lok Sabha elections in Azamgarh district by the BJP once again for the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
During his tenure in the lower house, he registered 90% attendance, participated in 3 debates, and asked 36 questions.
Yadav, who was awarded with Yash Bharti, the highest honor of the Uttar Pradesh government, started his political career in 2019 from Azamgarh on a BJP ticket but could not win due to the SP-BSP coalition. Yadav became famous among people due to his accessibility to people. Nirahua has earlier been embroiled in controversy for abusing and threatening a journalist. He also had faced legal proceedings.
Azamgarh constituency has historically been dominated by Yadavs and BJP won only twice with Yadav candidates, once in 2009 with Ramakant Yadav and in 2022 by-elections with Dinesh Lal Yadav. SP and BSP dominated the seat alternatively. Nirahua won by a marginal vote of 34.39 percent in 2022. The rural and urban population of the constituency is 86 percent and 14 percent respectively. It comprises a significant SC population (25.1 percent) and a Muslim population (15 percent). As per the 2011 census, the literacy rate of the district is 70.93 percent including 81.34% males and 60.91% females.
The district represents a good sex ratio with 1019 females for every 1000 males. Its economy is mainly based on agriculture. In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj declared it as one of the 250 most backward districts, which receives funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).