Cong’s 2nd list of 16 UP candidates out

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday announced 16 more candidates for Uttar Pradesh a day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati ruled out an alliance with it for the Aprilmay Lok Sabha polls.

With this, the Congress has so far named 27 candidates for Uttar Pradesh, one of electorally important states of the country. Uttar Pradesh sends the highest number of MPS — 80 — to the Lok Sabha, followed by Maharashtra 48 and West Bengal 42.

The party also named five candidates — former Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde , former Union minister Milind Deora , former MP Nana Patole, former MP Priya Dutt and tribal leader Namdeo Dalluji Usendi— in its first list for Maharashtra.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BSP, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal have sealed a seatsharing deal.

However, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has maintained that the Congress is still part of the “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) given that they have left two seats — Rae Bareli and Amethi — for the party. United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will seek re-election from Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively in the upcoming polls.

Wednesday’s list includes Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar, former Union minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and two former MPS Savitribai Phule and Rakesh Sachan.

The nomination of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Sinh from Sultanpur indicates that the Congress will not follow the suggestions of a section of its leaders who were against giving tickets to sitting legislators and members of Upper House. Sinh is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam and his term will expire on April 9, 2020.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said his party respects the decision of the SP and the BSP not to have a broader alliance in UP. “But we want to create a space for Congress’ ideology in Uttar Pradesh and that is why we have decided to fight all the seats. It is our solemn duty to protect and enhance that space. Every political party has a set of ideas and ideology that it must propagate,” he said.

THE CONG’S UP LIST INCLUDES STATE UNIT CHIEF RAJ BABBAR AND THE PARTY HAS NAMED FORMER MP PRIYA DUTT IN ITS MAHA LIST