Eight Samajwadi Party candidates, including Health and Family Welfare Minister Ahmed Hasan, filed their nominations on Monday for the biennial elections to the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council scheduled for January 23.
The ruling party hopes to win, on its own, eight of the 12 seats. It is also assured of the support of the Congress, which has opted out of the elections.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Irrigation and Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav were present in the Central Hall of the Legislature where the nominations were filed.
The chances of all 12 nominees (eight of the SP, three of the BSP and one of the BJP) getting elected unopposed would depend on the BJP.
On Sunday night, BJP State president Laxmikant Bajpai declared Laxman Acharya as the party’s candidate. He, however, said the BJP would field two candidates.
Besides Ahmed Hasan, leader of the House in the Vidhan Parishad, the other SP candidates who filed their papers are the former Minister, Ashok Bajpai, Sarojini Agarwal, Ramesh Yadav, Ashu Malik, Virendra Singh Gurjar, Ramjatan Rajbhar and Saheb Singh Saini.
