Shivpal Singh Yadav features in Akhilesh Yadav’s list of 191 SP candidates

Samajwadi Party on Friday announced a list of 191 candidates for the first three phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017.

Updated: January 20, 2017 2:08 PM IST

By Aadil Ikram Zaki Iqbal

Shivpal Singh Yadav features in Akhilesh Yadav's list of 191 SP candidates

Lucknow, Jan 20: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi Party on Friday announced a list of 191 candidates for the first three phases of the Assembly elections in the state. Notably, Akhilesh Yadav’s estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who was sacked from the post of state unit president, has been given ticket from Jaswantnagar. While Shivpal Singh Yadav features in Akhilesh Yadav’s list, but several other close associates of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav have been left out.

The first list of candidates released by Akhilesh Yadav covers the first three phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases beginning February 11. The Samajwadi Party has said it will contest 300 of UP’s 403 seats. The list includes names like Atul Pradhan and Arvind Singh Gope, who are close associate of Akhilesh Yadav and were dropped from the list released by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav last month.

As per the list, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Azam Khan will contest again from his constituency Rampur. Though Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam has been given Samajwadi Party ticket from Swaar, but Shivpal Yadav’s son Aditya has not been given a ticket by cousin Akhilesh Yadav.

The inclusion of Shivpal in today’s list of candidates indicates reconciliation between father and son. A defiant Akhilesh had last month announced his own candidates after his father’s list did not accommodate many of his key aides. After the Election Commission’s order on Monday recognising Akhilesh as SP president and granting him use of the party’s ‘bicycle’ symbol, Mulayam had handed over to his son a list of 38 candidates that he wanted the party to field. Among them was Shivpal.

In the list of candidates declared today, 52 are Muslims and 18 women. Though Akhilesh has taken care not to include controversial figures, still the list carries the name of Vijay Singh, who was the main accused in the murder of BSP leader Brahmdutt Dwivedi. He has been fielded from Farrukhabad. Atiq Ahmed, a mafia-turned-politician, who had been given ticket by Shivpal from Kanpur Cantt, has been dropped and in his place Mohd Hasan Rumi has been given party ticket.

Akhilesh was upset over inclusion of Ahmed’s name in the earlier list that bore the stamp of Mulayam and Shivpal. Atiq had yesterday told reporters that he would not contest the polls. “I will not contest assembly polls. I know Akhileshji (Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav) likes me…But then you (media) will ask him why a mafia has been given ticket,” the former MP had said, adding he would work to strengthen the party and refrain from doing anything that will strengthen communal forces. SP ticket to Atiq had invited criticism from BJP and BSP leaders, who said it was unfortunate for Uttar Pradesh that such people with criminal background were being given tickets. (With PTI inputs)

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