UP can be heading for mini-poll soon

Uttar Pradesh could well be heading towards a mini election in the coming months if the results go the BJP way. A total of 13 legislators are seeking an entry into the Lok Sabha this time and if these candidates win, bye-elections are sure to be held in their constituencies.

The BJP has fielded four state ministers and five legislators in the Lok Sabha elections. Two legislators from the Samajwadi Party and one each from BSP and Apna Dal are also contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi is contesting the Allahabad Lok Sabha seat while another Minister Satyadev Pachauri is the BJP candidate from Kanpur.

The two other ministers in the fray include S.P. Singh Baghel, who is contesting the Agra seat while Mukut Bihari Bajpai, also a minister, is the party candidate from Ambedkar Nagar.

The legislators from BJP who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections include R.K. Singh Patel, who is contesting the Banda seat. He is a legislator from Manikpur assembly seat in the same constituency.

Rajvir Singh Valmiki Diler is the BJP legislator from Iglas and he is contesting the Hathras seat.

Upendra Rawat, BJP legislator from Jaidpur, is the party candidate for the Barabanki Lok Sabha seat.

Pradeep Chaudhary, legislator from Gangoh, is the BJP candidate from Kairana.

BJP legislator from Balha Assembly seat, Akshaywar Lal Gaud is the party candidate from Bahraich.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded its senior legislator Azam Khan from the Rampur Lok Sabha seat where he is pitted against Jaya Prada of BJP.

Another SP legislator, albeit estranged, is Shivpal Yadav who is contesting the Ferozabad against SP's official candidate and his nephew Akshay Yadav.

If Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav win their elections, the SP will have to face bypolls in two seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded its legislator Ritesh Pandey from the Ambedkar Nagar seat while the Apna Dal MLA Sangam Lal Gupta is contesting the Pratapgarh seat on a BJP ticket.

"The election season, as it is , never peters out in Uttar Pradesh and we seem to be heading for another round of by-elections in the coming months," said leader of opposition and SP MLA Ram Govind Chaudhary.

--IANS

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