Cong not to contest on SP chief, Shivpal seats
AGRA/LUCKNOW: In a last-minute move, the Congress on Tuesday decided not to field a candidate from Karhal seat, in Mainpuri district, from where Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting his first Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
The Congress had already declared not to field any candidate from Jaswant Nagar seat, from where Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Yadav is contesting. Shivpal, the chief of Pragitisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L), is contesting the upcoming election on an SP ticket.
Nominations for both Kahral and Jaswant Nagar ended on Tuesday.
Earlier, Congress had declared Gyanwati Devi as its candidate for Karhal seat but, in a last-minute decision, she was asked by the party high command to not file her nomination.
Gopal Kulshrestha, Congress’s Mainpuri district president, said: “Gyanwati Devi was the Congress candidate for Karhal seat. On instructions from the high command, she was asked not to file her nomination.”
The district will go to polls on February 20 in the third phase of the seven-phase assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
“Party candidates will be contesting from the other three assembly seats of Mainpuri district. Vinita Shakya will contest from Mainpuri Sadar seat, Prof Vijay Narain from Kisni and Mamta Rajput from Bhongaon seat,” Kulshrestha added.
Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday filed his nomination from Karhal, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Union minister of state for law SP Singh Baghel as its candidate. Baghel, too, filed his nomination on Monday.
Abdul Hafiq Gandhi, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson, welcomed the Congress’s decision. “It’s on old tradition that both the parties follow regarding direct family members. It’s nothing new. The move is welcome for these two seats,” he added.