Lok Sabha Election 2019: Samajwadi Party first list of candidates; Mulayam to contest from Mainpuri, nephew Akshay from Firozabad

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday released its first list of six candidates who will contest from Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. According to the list, former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will contest from the Mainpuri constituency.

On the final day of the 16th Lok Sabha’s last session of Parliament, Mulayam had showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoken in appreciation of his efforts to “try and take everyone along”. This had sent the rumour mills spinning on whether there was yet another crack in the SP family.

Yadav had also said that the alliance between the SP and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is “inappropriate and against the interests of Uttar Pradesh.”

Yet all seems well within the house now. The party has also fielded Mulayam’s family members — Dharmendra Yadav from Badaun, and his brother and senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav’s son Akshay Yadav from Firozabad.

In addition, the party has fielded Kamlesh Katheria from Etahwah, Shabbir Valmiki from Behraich and Bhai Lal from Robertsganj.

The development comes a day after the Congress released its first list of 15 candidates  — 11 contesting from Uttar Pradesh and the other four from Gujarat. The party had fielded UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli and party president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.

Among all states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of seats (80) in the Lok Sabha. The SP and BSP decided to contest in 37 and 38 seats, respectively.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) had, on 5 March,  announced that it will join the SP-BSP alliance in the state.