Samajwadi Party first list out for 2014 polls

The Samajwadi Party (SP), taking the lead over all others towards 2014 Lok Sabha elections, declared its first list of candidates for Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow today.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), taking the lead over all others, declared its first list of 55 candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections for Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow on Friday.

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The first list, declared by the national general secretary, Ramgopal Yadav, has 18 sitting MPs and two MLAs, including a minister and the assembly speaker, as candidates. Ashok Bajpai has been declared as the candidate from the Lucknow seat.

The party has not announced candidates from the Rae Bareli or Amethi seats — the constituencies of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress national general secretary Rahul Gandhi, respectively.

However, SP brings in yet another member of the Yadav family into politics — Ramgopal Yadav has declared his son Akshya Yadav’s candidature from the Firozabad seat. “It is always wise to be prepared for any situation,” said Ramgopal, when asked if the list indicated that party was expecting early polls.

The first list includes four Yadav family members — national president of the party Mulayam Singh Yadav, seeking re-election from Mainpuri; Dharmendra Yadav, seeking to retain his Badaun seat; Dimple Yadav, seeking to retain her Kannauj seat; and Akshya Yadav, who is contesting for the first time.