LUCKNOW: Hours after the BJP released its first list of candidates for the first and second phase, the SP-backed RLD on Saturday announced seven more candidates taking its tally to 26. The first list released on Thursday comprised 10 candidates of SP and 19 candidates of the Jayant Chaudhary-led political outfit.
The fresh list showcased a social matrix of Jat, Gurjar, Brahmin, Dalit and Muslim candidates. RLD announced its candidates for Thana Bhawan, Budhana, Meerapur, Muradnagar, Shikarpur, Barauli and Iglas (reserved) seats. In Thana Bhawan, RLD has fielded Ashraf Ali who would face BJP’s Suresh Rana, the incumbent UP cane minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.
In Budhana, RLD has pitted Rajpal Baliyan, a Jat, against BJP’s sitting MLA Umesh Malik. In Meerapur, SP leader Chandan Chauhan, a Gurjar, will contest on a RLD ticket. He will be up against Prashant Gurjar of BJP. Prashant replaced Avtar Singh Bhadana who defected to RLD.
In Muradnagar, RLD has fielded Surendra Kumar who is a Brahmin. He will be up against BJP’s Ajit Pal Tyagi, a sitting MLA. Likewise, Pramod Gaur, a Brahmin, has been fielded from Barauli where BJP has replaced its sitting MLA Dalvir Singh with Jaiveer Singh, a Thakur.
Similarly, the party has placed its bet on Kiran Pal Singh, a Jat, in Shikarpur. He will face BJP’s Anil Sharma, the sitting lawmaker. In Iglas reserved seat, RLD has fielded Birpal Singh Diwakar. On this seat, BJP has replaced its sitting MLA Rajveer Diler.
