SP releases another list of 11 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, Afzal Ansari fielded from Ghazipur

According to the list that has been released by the party, Afzal Ansari who is the brother of Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has been fielded from Ghazipur constituency.

Earlier on May 1, 2023, Afzal Ansari was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha representing the Ghazipur Parliamentary Constituency upon his conviction by the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, MP/MLA Court, Ghazipur. He was also sentenced to four years imprisonment in a Gangster Act case by a trial court.

From Muzaffarnagar, Harendra Singh Malik will contest the Lok Sabha polls. Ramesh Gautam and Virendra Singh have been fielded from Bahraich and Chandauli respectively.

Samajwadi party has also fielded Neeraj Maurya from Aonla, Usha Verma from Hardoi, Rampal Rajvanshi from Misrikh, RK Chaudhary from Mohanlalganj, SP Singh Patel from Pratapgarh and Shreya Verma from Gonda.

Last month on January 30, the Samajwadi Party (SP) announced the names of 16 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, to take place this year.

The SP has fielded Dimple Yadav, wife of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from Mainpuri, Shafiqur Rahman Barq from Sambhal and Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow.

Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party won the Mainpuri parliamentary byelection in December 2022, defeating Raghuraj Singh Shakya of the BJP by a margin of 2,88,461 votes. Considered SP's bastion, the seat was held by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and it was vacated after his death on October 10.

Akshay Yadav has been fielded from Firozabad, while from Banda, the SP has fielded Shivshakar Singh Patel. Barq who at 93 is one of the oldest Parliamentarians has been elected 5 times to the Lok Sabha from Sambhal.

"Hoga PDA ke naam, abki ekjut matdan," the SP said.

In the current Lok Sabha, the SP, which had fought in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2019, has three MPs while the BSP has 10 MPs. (ANI)