The Samajwadi Party (SP) released its third list of candidates on Tuesday, gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Among the prominent names featured in the list is Shivpal Yadav, the uncle of SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who will be contesting from Badaun constituency.
Additionally, the list includes Ikra Hasan from Kairana, Praveen Singh Aron from Bareilly, Ajendra Singh Rajpur from Hamirpur, and Surendra Singh Patel from Varanasi.
In parallel, the party also announced the appointments of in-charges for four Lok Sabha constituencies: Mahboob Ali for Amroha, Ramavatar Saini for Kannauj and Azamgarh, and Dharmendra Yadav for Bagpat.
This announcement follows the party's previous release of its second list comprising 11 candidates. Notably, the list features sitting BSP MP Afzal Ansari, who will be contesting from Ghazipur, his stronghold. Afzal Ansari, recognized as the elder brother of the notorious politician Mukhtar Ansari, represents the SP's strategy to consolidate support in key constituencies.
The SP's emphasis on inclusivity is evident in its candidate selection process, as the second list, much like its precursor, is oriented towards PDA (Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) representation. With a mix of five OBCs, four Dalits, and one Muslim candidate, including two women, the SP underscores its commitment to diverse representation. Additionally, the list features one upper-caste candidate, highlighting the party's effort to appeal to a broad demographic.
As of now, the SP has released candidates for a total of 32 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Notably, the party's decision to field candidates in seats coveted by the Congress signals a departure from the latter's expectations. In both the first and second lists, there is a conspicuous overlap of at least eight seats that the Congress had expressed interest in, including Kheri, Dhaurahra, Farrukhabad, and Faizabad, among others.
