UP Congress to go solo in MLC polls, announces five candidates

“The party will contest the polls for teacher and graduate constituencies on its own. We are taking these polls as a challenge, said UP Congress chief Ajay Rai

Announcing the names of five candidates out of the 11 for the 2026 MLC polls in the state, Uttar Pradesh Congress president on Friday said the party will contest the Vidhan Parishad elections independently.

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai paying tribute to SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on his death anniversary in Lucknow. (Sourced)

“The party will contest the polls for teacher and graduate constituencies on its own. Since this is not a symbol-based election, there is no question of an alliance. We are taking these polls as a challenge,” he said while replying to a query if the Congress would contest the polls in alliance with the Samajwadi Party like it did during the last general election.

“The party has fielded Sanjay Priyadarshi from the Varanasi teacher constituency and Arvind Singh Patel from the graduate constituency. Similarly, Devmani Tiwari has been nominated as a graduate candidate from Lucknow, Vikrant Vashishtha from Meerut and Raghuraj Pal from Agra. Other candidates will be announced soon,” Rai said during a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow.

Attacking the state government, he alleged: “The current dispensation in the state has failed to address problems of teachers, advocates and youths. Paper leak, lack of support to teachers, absence of old pension scheme and school mergers never got attention in the BJP government.”

Cong leaders pay tribute to MSY on death anniv

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai and other senior party leaders paid floral tribute to SP founder and former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav at the party office on his third death anniversary on Friday. “Mulayam Singh was a leader of the masses. His ideals of struggle, simplicity and public service still inspire us,” Rai said on the occasion.