Samajwadi Party releases first list of candidates; Mulayam Singh to contest from Mainpuri

The Samajwadi Party (SP) released the first list of six candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on March 8.

As per the list, SP supremo and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav is slated to contest from Mainpuri.

At present, Mulayam Singh represents the Azamgarh parliamentary constituency. He had represented Mainpuri three times earlier — in 1996, 2004 and 2009. In the 2014 polls, Yadav contested from two constituencies — Azamgarh and Mainpuri — and won both. In 2009 too, the SP founder won the Mainpuri seat by a margin of over 1.6 lakh votes.

Moreover, the party has fielded Mulayam Singh's nephew Dharmender Singh from the Badaun parliamentary seat, which he has won thrice in previous polls.

pic.twitter.com/OUMlN8eCtC

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 8, 2019

Mulayam Singh's brother and senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav's son Akshay Yadav has been fielded from Firozabad.

The first list of candidates includes Kamlesh Katheria from Etahwah, Shabbir Valmiki from Bahraich and Bhai Lal from Robertganj.

SP's release of first list comes within hours after the Congress party released a list of candidates from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The Grand Old Party has fielded UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli and party chief Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, in a recent press conference, asserted that the "Congress is a part of the Mahagthbandhan" and that the party is "with us".

Earlier this year, the SP and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party had announced an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections keeping the Congress party at bay.