VS poll: BSP may amend candidates? list

WITH BAHUJAN Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati slated to arrive in the city on August 26, speculation is rife among party leaders that the candidates for several Vidhan Sabha seats will be changed. A meeting of the party?s MPs, MLAs, MLCs, coordinators and leaders of various frontal organisations will be held under the chairmanship of Mayawati on August 27.

WITH BAHUJAN Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati slated to arrive in the city on August 26, speculation is rife among party leaders that the candidates for several Vidhan Sabha seats will be changed. A meeting of the party’s MPs, MLAs, MLCs, coordinators and leaders of various frontal organisations will be held under the chairmanship of Mayawati on August 27.

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During her last visit to the city in July, Mayawati had announced the names of over 200 candidates in the meeting held in the party office. According to sources, the party has decided to change about 50 candidates whose names were announced earlier. A party leader said the list of the candidates released by ‘behanji’ in the earlier meeting was not official and after feedback from the party members, she decided to field new candidates on the seats. Prominent among those who have been denied party ticket are Ashok Katiyar from Chaubeypur Vidhan Sabha constituency and Kuldeep Singh Sengar from Unnao Vidhan Sabha constituency.

According to sources, Mayawati will also release the second list of candidates for Vidhan Sabha elections. Again the list will not be an official one and might be amended before the BSP releases the final list of candidates.

Along with discussing the party’s strategy for the Vidhan Sabha elections, Mayawati will also review the party’s preparations for the urban local bodies poll.

Even though the State government has not issued notification, the BSP leaders are busy finalising the list of candidates for the civic polls. “If the urban local bodies poll are delayed, we will start the constitution of booth committees for the Vidhan Sabha polls”, the BSP leaders said.