Faizabad MPs Awadhesh Prasad and Akhilesh Yadav in the Lok Sabha.
– Photo : Sansad TV
Expansion
SP has started calculations for the by-elections to be held on 10 assembly seats. However, the party will wait for the BJP to reveal its strategic cards before announcing its candidates. Encouraged by the results of the Lok Sabha elections, the SP leadership has called upon the workers to work wholeheartedly in this election as well.
Let us tell you that the Sisamau (Kanpur) seat has fallen vacant due to the conviction of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, while by-elections are being held due to the other nine MLAs being elected as MPs. Five of these seats, Karhal, Sisamau, Milkipur, Katehari and Kundarki, were still with the SP, while Khair, Ghaziabad and Phulpur seats were won by BJP, Majhwa Nishad Party and Mirapur RLD.
Karhal seat has fallen vacant after Akhilesh Yadav became MP. According to party sources, it is almost certain that Tej Pratap Singh Yadav of Akhilesh family will be fielded from here. The most important seat for SP is Milkipur in Ayodhya, because SP is presenting winning Faizabad (Ayodhya) Lok Sabha seat as a big achievement. Ajeet, son of Awadhesh Prasad, MP from Milkipur, is also a contender for the ticket. According to sources, SP leadership does not want the atmosphere created by Awadhesh’s victory to be harmed, so it is considering fielding someone else instead of his son. SP has many strong contenders for Milkipur seat.
Katehari seat has fallen vacant after Lalji Verma was elected as MP. There are discussions about fielding his daughter Chhaya Verma from here, but sources say that a Brahmin or a Manjhi candidate may get a chance from there. A member of Irfan Solanki’s family may be fielded from Sisamau. The name of SP MLA from Kanpur Amitabh Vajpayee’s wife Vandana Vajpayee or any other family member is also being considered. It is almost certain that a Turk Muslim will be fielded from Kundarki.
Sources say that looking at the BJP candidates, the party will assess its caste equations and make strategy on that basis. This is the reason why names of Muslim, Gurjar and Jat candidates are being considered for Mirapur (Muzaffarnagar) seat. In Khair (Aligarh), the name of a leader who has performed well as an independent candidate is being considered. A RLD leader is also said to be in touch with SP for a ticket. SP will bet on a leader from Patel or Kushwaha community from Phulpur. In Majhava (Mirzapur), a leader from Brahmin or Bind community may get a chance. In Ghaziabad, Jat and Dalit equations are being considered.