UP Assembly polls: Akhilesh Yadav urges SP workers to follow Covid norms

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday appealed to party workers to follow COVID-19 norms.

He said the Samajwadi Party will soon declare its candidates for the assembly elections in the state.

We have to follow Covid protocols. If these are not followed, questions will be raised, Yadav said a day after police lodged an FIR against 2,500 Samajwadi Party activists for flouting Covid norms.

A massive crowd had gathered at the Samajwadi Party office on Friday for the induction ceremony of former BJP minister Swami Prasad Maurya and some MLAs.

The in-charge of Gautam Palli Police Station was suspended and a clarification sought from two senior officials.

Taking cognisance of the Lucknow district magistrate's report about the violation of the Model Code of Conduct on Covid norms, directives were issued to place Gautam Palli Police Station in-charge Dinesh Singh Bisht into suspension with immediate effect, an official statement issued by the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer said.

Besides, the commission also sought a clarification from Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lucknow) Akhilesh Singh and Additional City Magistrate (First) Govind Maurya, the statement said.

Yadav further said that the SP will soon release the list of candidates for the assembly elections.

"Please stay in your locality and assembly constituency. We are collecting information. Very soon the announcement pertaining to the tickets will be made, he told reporters here.

It is possible that there will be no list of tickets (candidates), and A and B forms (pertaining to candidates which are filled at the time of elections) be sent (to the candidates), he added.