BSP's Ambedkar files nomination for UP Council polls

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who narrowly missed reaching the upper House of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha biennial elections, on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections.

Incidentally, Ambedkar's nomination was the first to be filed since the process opened four days back for the polls to be held later this month.

Party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, who accompanied the candidate, later told media persons that his party was thankful to the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav who was helping them in a big way in this matter.

He also expressed hope that Ambedkar would cruise past the finishing line with the support of like minded parties.

Mishra, who is a close aide of BSP chief Mayawati, also said that the machinations and manipulation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), like those in the Rajya Sabha elections, would not succeed this time and Ambedkar would win.

The SP has said that the party, after voting for its sole candidate that it can push through based on its strength in the upper House of state assembly, would transfer its votes to the BSP.

Polling for the 13 seats of the legislative council falling vacant on May 5 will be held on April 26.

The 12 legislators retiring next month are: former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Naresh Uttam, Rajendra Chowdhary, Madhu Gupta, Ram Sakal Gujjar, Vijay Yadav, Umar Ali Khan (all SP), Mahendra Kumar Singh and Mohsin Raza (both BJP), Chowdhary Mushtaq (RLD), and Vijay Pratap and Sunil Kumar Chittor (both BSP).

One seat had fallen vacant earlier.

--IANS

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