New Delhi: Samajwadi Partypresident AkhileshYadav has said he would like to contest next year's general elections from Kannauj constituency, presently held by his wife Dimple Yadav.

"I will like to contest from Kannauj," he told reporters in Lucknowafter paying tribute to veteran socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra on his death anniversary.

Replying to a question, AkhileshYadav said 'netaji' Mulayam Singh Yadav will contest the polls from Mainpuri.

In the 2014 LokSabha polls, the 78-year-old SP patriarch had contested from Azamgarh and Mainpuri and won both, but chose to retain Azamgarh to strengthen the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

He vacated Mainpuri, which was then won in a by-poll by his grandson, TejPratapYadav.The SP insiders said the decision of the party chief to contest the next general elections from Kannauj was aimed at quelling allegations of promoting "dynasty" in the party.

Kannauj could, however, pose crucial test for the SP in the present scenario as in last year's assembly election, the party had lost two of the three seats in the LokSabha constituency to the BJP while it won the Kannauj city seat by meagre 2,000 votes.

To make matters worse, the SP lost all the three nagarpalika chairman seats and all five nagarpanchayat chairman seats in Kannauj in the recent civic polls.

Dimple Yadav had beaten the BJP candidate in 2014 by just 20,000 votes.

AkhileshYadav has represented Kannauj thrice in the LokSabha before relinquishing the seat after becoming chief minister in 2012.