Lok Sabha Elections: Samajwadi Party Announces Second List (image:facebook.com/yadavakhilesh/)
For the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday announced a second list of 11 candidates from Uttar Pradesh. The list included gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari”s brother Afzal Ansari. The party declared the initial list of candidates for 16 seats at the end of January.
The candidates announced by the party on Monday are Harendra Malik (Muzaffarnagar), Neeraj Maurya (Aonla), Rajesh Kashyap (Shahjahanpur), Usha Verma (Hardoi), RK Chaudhary (Mohanlalganj), SP Singh Patel (Pratapgarh), Ramesh Gautam (Bahraich), Afzal Ansari (Ghazipur), Shreya Verma (Gonda), Virendra Singh (Chandauli) and Rampal Rajvanshi (Misrikh).
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) February 19, 2024
SP”s PDA Plank
Among the 11 candidates, four are from Backward Classes, five from Scheduled Castes, one Thakur and one Muslim. The list stresses the SP”s attempt to showcase its commitment to its PDA board. PDA is a term coined bye SP and it refers to “Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak-Muslims” i.e., backward, Dalits and minorities, especially Muslims. Also, PDA address to the 85% of the total population in the Uttar Pradesh.
Recently, the party faced a lot of criticism from its leaders for not aptly representing PDA while nominating three candidates for Rajya Sabha. When it was asked, whether the current list of Lok Sabha poll is a damage control exercise, Rajendra Chaudhary, SP”s chief spokesperson responded that whether it be in the 2022 assembly elections or appointment of leaders in the party organisation, the leadership always ensured representation of PDA, Times of India reports.
Afzal Ansari
Afzal Ansari is a sitting BSP MP from his home constituency, Ghazipur and SP is fielding him in the same seat. In 2019 Lok Sabha election, Afzal Ansari fought election on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket but was disqualified from the Parliament in 2023 following a four year jail sentence in a murder case. Both brothers got charged under the 2007 UP Gangsters Act. However, in December 2023, his suspension was revoked by Supreme Court on the ground that his constituency will be neglected of its legitimate representation in the legislature since a by-election may not be held considering the remaining tenure of the current Lok Sabha.
Akhilesh Yadav And Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Earlier on Monday, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday informed that the party will not participate in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi until seat-sharing with Congress is finalised. SP is part of Congress led- Opposition INDIA alliance. According to Rajendra Chaudhary, Congress has been offered 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls. “Akhilesh Yadav”s participation in the Nyay Yatra in Raebareli on Tuesday will depend on their acceptance,” Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI.
