Yadavs dominate SP candidate list for Vidhan Parishad polls

Samajwadi Party today announced the the names of candidates to the 31 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council which will be held on March three.
Of the total 31 seat, the party gave ticket to 16 Yadav candidates, four Muslims and one Brahmin besides others.
The outcome of the polls to be held on March 3 is likely to catapult the ruling SP to majority in the 100-member Upper House and in the process facilitate the government to ensure passage of bills that normally get stuck because of lack of adequate strength.
Anand Bhadauria and Sunil Yadav Sajan, who were expelled last month during Panchayat polls for anti-party activities and re-inducted later, were given tickets from Sitapur and Unnao respectively.

Bhadauria and Sajan were former national presidents of SP Lohia Vahini and SP Chhatra Sabha respectively.
Narendra Singh Bhati, who had a confrontation with IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal in an illegal mining case, has been given ticket from Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Brijkishore Singh, brother of cabinet minister Rajkishore Singh has got ticket for Basti, former Director Education Vasudev Yadav for Allahabad, and Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya's cousin Akshay Pratap Singh from Pratapgarh.
"Once we get majority in the Upper House, our government would be able to breathe easy as many of our projects have been spiked or voted out because of being in minority in the Vidhan Parishad," Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhry, himself an MLC, told PTI.

Of late many legislations passed by the Vidhan Sabha, have been referred to the Select Committee and the government was forced to re-introduce them in the Vidhan Sabha. "Precious time would be saved once we are in majority," he said.
As the term of 36 MLCs ended on January 15, BSP's strength fell from 45 members to just 11.
The SP at present has 29 members and the party is likely to get majority with a number of the candidates assured of facile victory.