SP announces 325 candidates for UP polls
AMN / Lucknow
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today released a list of 325 candidates for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, denying tickets to several ministers of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Several sitting legislators have been dropped, including expelled party leader and state forest minister Tej Narain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey, who has been denied ticket from Ayodhya.
Another close confidant of Mr Akhilesh, Rural Development Minister Arvind Singh Gope has not been given ticket from Ramnagar seat of Barabanki.
UP Panchayati Raj Minister Ram Govind Choudhury was also denied ticket from Basdih seat in Ballia district.
Of the announced candidates, 176 were sitting MLAs of the party, while rest of 149 are those who had lost their seats in 2012.
Mulayam also ruled out any pre-poll alliance or bickering within the family.
Reacting over the announcement of list of the candidates, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that those who have worked hard are youths and they should get tickets. CM also said that he will talk to the party chief in this matter.
Many MLAs and young leaders, close to CM, could not find place in the list issued by Mulayam Singh today. It is clear now that that Mulayam Singh has not given any attention to the list of 403 candidates which was sent by Akhilesh Yadav a few days ago.