BJP names candidates for UP parliamentary, assembly by-polls

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced its candidates for the Kairana parliamentary seat and the Noorpur assembly seat, where polling is scheduled to be held on May 28.

The Kairana seat in western Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after the death of incumbent MP and veteran BJP leader Hukum Singh while the by-poll in Noorpur in Bijnore district was necessitated after the sitting legislator Lokendra Singh Chauhan of the BJP died in a car accident in February.

A BJP spokesman said Avani Singh, widow of Chauhan, is the party candidate from Noorpur while Mriganka Singh, daughter of Hukum Singh, has been named from Kairana.

Both the candidates are likely to file their nomination papers within the next two days, a party leader told IANS.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Naimul Hasan as its candidate from Noorpur while former MP Tabassum Hasan is the joint candidate of the opposition in the Kairana parliamentary seat.

She will be contesting on the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) ticket.

The Samajwadi Party and Ajit Singh's RLD have thrashed out a formula here to combine the traditional arch rivals -- Jats and Muslims -- to oust the BJP.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress are not contesting the polls and are likely to extend their support to the opposition candidates.

The votes will be counted on May 31.

--IANS

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