Rajnath Singh to contest Hydergarh bypoll

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, MARCH 9. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, is all set to contest the Assembly by-election for the Hydergarh seat, which was vacated by Mr. Surendranath Awasthi of the Congress (I) on February 21.

While trying to avoid a formal announcement on the Chief Minister's candidature on technical grounds, the State BJP chief, Mr. Kalraj Mishra, told presspersons here today that the party had received only his application for the by-election. The State Election Committee of the BJP would meet here on Sunday when its recommendation would be forwarded to the Central Parliamentary Board for consideration. A formal announcement regarding Mr. Singh's candidature would be made on March 12. Mr. Singh would file his nomination papers on March 15 before the Returning Officer at Barabanki.

The notification for the by-election is likely to be issued on March 12. Mr. Mishra denied that there was a chance of Mr. Singh contesting from two constituencies. The other seat for which by- election is to be held is Sadabad. The candidate for this seat is yet to be decided.

The Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Ms. Mayawati, meanwhile, announced that her party would field a Kurmi candidate, Mr. Mata Prasad Chaudhary, against Mr. Singh.

The Samajwadi Party has already nominated Mr. Rajendra Chaudhary for Hydergarh. He had defeated Mr. Singh in the 1993 Assembly elections in Mahona constituency in Lucknow district.

Ms. Mayawati alleged that the Samajwadi Party was trying to help the Chief Minister by fielding Mr. Chaudhary, who was an outsider. The Congress is likely to field a Brahmin candidate.

Mr. Mishra said the party had already started campaigning for Mr. Singh.

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Section  : Other States
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