SP candidates filed nominations.
– Photo : amar ujala
Expansion
After a long struggle, Samajwadi Party was able to finalize its Legislative Council candidates on the last day of nomination. It is said that the SP leadership wanted to send Alok Shakya to the Legislative Council in place of Balram Yadav, but due to the insistence of Balram Yadav, Alok Shakya dropped out of the race. While SP has tried to attract non-Yadav backward class voters in Western UP by fielding former minister Kiran Pal Kashyap, the intention behind sending former MLA Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali to the Legislative Council is to win the Azamgarh seat again. Is.
According to SP sources, the SP leadership had already decided to give Legislative Council tickets to Guddu Jamali and Kiran Pal Kashyap. Guddu Jamali had contested the last by-election of Azamgarh Lok Sabha on BSP ticket. He got 2.66 lakh votes, due to which SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav lost by 8679 votes. Guddu Jamali has recently joined SP and by sending him to the Legislative Council, SP is trying to strengthen its fort in Azamgarh.
Kiran Pal Kashyap is a founding member of SP and has also been the District President several times. Kashyap fraternity has influence on many seats from east to west. While with the help of Kiranpal Kashyap, SP tried to give the message that it is worried about its old workers, there is also a plan to woo Kashyap voters. This is also part of SP’s strategy to increase focus on other castes after RLD’s separation from SP in the West.
SP sources say that till late Sunday night there was discussion on giving ticket to Mainpuri District President Alok Shakya. But, this was possible only if Balram Yadav was not given the opportunity. It is said that SP President Akhilesh Yadav made Balram Yadav and Alok Shakya sit together and talked to them. Balram Yadav remained adamant on the demand of giving ticket citing his age. On this, Alok Shakya himself said that he would withdraw his claim.