The Samajwadi Party’s first list of 55 names for the Lok Sabha elections has only four Muslim candidates whereas there are eight Yadav candidates. Muslim candidates have been fielded in Kairana, Moradabad, Amroha and Sultanpur seats while Yadav candidates have been nominated for the Mainpuri, Kannauj, Badaun, Ferozabad, Etah, Chandauli, Jaunpur and Jhansi seats.
The party has given tickets to only three Brahmin candidates — Unnao, Bhadohi and Dumariaganj — but the number of Thakur candidates is eight, which shows the party had given greater preference to Thakurs, who have been put up in Aaonla, Dhaurhara, Pratapgarh, Akbarpur, Kaiserganj, Gonda, Basti and Ballia.
Meanwhile, Prof. Yadav said tickets had been announced in advance to enable the candidates to reach out to every nook and corner of their constituencies and prepare for the polls.
Asked whether the party would not put up candidates in Rae Bareli and Amethi, as announced earlier, Prof. Yadav said a decision would be taken at the appropriate time. Commenting on Mr Rahul Gandhi being given charge of polls in the Congress, he said, “You know his history and you can decide for yourself.”
To another question, the SP leader said his party was fully prepared to face elections whenever they took place. “We do not know about early elections but we are prepared,” he added.
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SP Obliges kin, crime accused
AGE CORRESPONDENT
lucknow, Nov. 16
The SP has again chosen to oblige relatives and those facing criminal cases while distributing tickets. Four members of the Yadav family, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, will contest. The other are his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav and nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav. Humera, wife of UP minister Kamal Akhtar, has been fielded from Amroha. UP minister Anand Singh has got a ticket for his son Kirit Vardhan. Among those facing criminal cases are Narendra Bhati from Gautam Buddha Nagar and Aruna Shankar Shukla, a.k.a. Anna, from Unnao.