The heavyweights in major political parties, including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, may not be in the fray in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls but their prestige is at stake with their near and dear ones testing political fortunes in Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from ruling Samajwadi Party, BSP, Congress and even BJP leaders have fielded their close family members in various constituencies.
As Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple is contesting from Kannauj seat, the Chief Minister has made the constituency a priority while holding rallies across the state.
SP National General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav is also busy in monitoring poll management for his son Akshay Yadav, who is contesting from Firozabad seat while another party leader and State minister Kamal Akhtar is toiling hard to ensure victory of his wife Humaira Khatoon from Amroha.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Mahendra Aridaman Singh, whose wife Pachhilika Singh has been given SP ticket from Fatehpur Sikri, is also in the same league.
Another interesting case is of MLA Anand Singh, who was holding Agriculture department portfolio but was sacked for anti-party activities last month. His son Kirtivardhan Singh is now contesting on a BJP ticket from Gonda seat.
In BSP, the situation is no different. BSP's Muslim face and former minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui has a daunting task of mobilising Muslims in favour of the party apart from campaigning for son, Afzal Siddiqui, who is contesting from Fatehpur. Naseemuddin's wife Husna Siddiqui is a sitting MLC.
Former energy minister and senior BSP leader Ramveer Upadhyay, though not in the contest, is facing a similar situation with wife Seema Upadhyay and brother Mukul Upadhyay in the fray from Fatehpur Sikri and Ghaziabad seats, respectively.
Leader of Opposition and BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya has a difficult task ahead with daughter Sanghmitra Maurya being given ticket by the party against SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in Mainpuri.
Though winning against Mulayam seems difficult, the party leader is trying to ensure maximum number of votes for his daughter.
Another BSP leader Jaiveer Singh, a former minister and Thakur' face of the party, is busy campaigning for his foreign-educated son Arvind Kumar Singh from Aligarh.
Congress leader Sanjay Singh, sent to Rajya Sabha by his party from Assam recently, is not contesting Lok Sabha polls but his only agenda is to ensure victory of his wife Amita Singh, who is party nominee from Sultanpur seat. Amita, who lost 2012 assembly polls from Amethi is vying for entry into Lok Sabha with the help of her husband. She is contesting against BJP candidate Varun Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, who had set a record by winning from his assembly seat Rampur Khas (in Pratapgarh) nine consecutive times, is working hard for his political protege Rajkumari Ratna Singh from Pratapgarh. Tiwari was elected to Rajya Sabha last year from Congress.
Another leader, who withdrew his candidature for his son, is former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. This time he has managed a ticket for his son Rajveer Singh from Etah seat, currently represented by him. Singh, besides campaigning for the other seats, is doing everything possible to launch his son at national level by ensuring his entry into Lok Sabha.
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