The Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced two more candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council elections, maintaining its strategy of balancing upper caste and backward caste representation.
The party named Dr. Prakash Chandra Gupta for the Agra-Aligarh Teachers’ constituency and Nitin Kumar Tomar for the Meerut-Ghaziabad Teachers’ constituency.
With this, SP has so far declared candidates for eight out of the 11 seats — five graduate and six teachers’ constituencies — that will go to polls next year. The Election Commission is currently preparing the voters’ list for these constituencies.
Earlier, the SP had announced six candidates. These include Lal Bihari Yadav for the Varanasi-Mirzapur Teachers’ constituency, Dr. Man Singh Yadav for the Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ constituency, and Ashutosh Sinha for the Varanasi-Mirzapur Graduates’ constituency — all three sitting MLCs who have been re-nominated.
The party has also fielded Kamlesh Yadav from Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ constituency, former MLC Kanti Singh from the Lucknow Graduates’ constituency, and Pramendra Bhati from the Meerut-Saharanpur Graduates’ constituency.
An analysis of the declared candidates shows a clear effort by SP to strike a social balance. Of the eight candidates, three belong to the Yadav community, while one each represents the Thakur, Kayastha, and Bania castes from the general category. Among the OBCs, one candidate each represents the Gurjar and Kurmi communities. Party sources indicate that Dalit and Brahmin candidates are likely to get tickets for the remaining three constituencies.
Meanwhile, SP chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of spreading hatred and worsening caste discrimination in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing party workers from various districts at the SP headquarters, Akhilesh alleged that the BJP has completely destroyed law and order, healthcare, and education in the state.
“The BJP government is responsible for rampant caste-based oppression and administrative bias. There is collusion between criminals and the administration. Despite fake encounters, law and order has not improved,” Akhilesh said.
He also blamed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the deteriorating condition of rivers, including the Gomti. “The government has done nothing for river cleaning. It was the SP government that built the most beautiful riverfront on the Gomti,” he said.
Akhilesh promised that under an SP government, medical treatment would be free and vacancies for doctors would be filled on a large scale.
SP national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda and national secretary and former minister Rajendra Chaudhary were also present at the meeting.
SP Chief’s Chadar to Be Offered at Dewa Sharif Urs
In Barabanki, the annual Urs of Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah is underway at Dewa Sharif. On behalf of SP president Akhilesh Yadav, a ceremonial chadar was offered at the saint’s shrine. SP MLA Ataur Rahman, along with several party leaders, participated in the Urs.
