UP Assembly polls: Samajwadi Party releases first list of 143 candidates

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party on Friday released its first list of 143 candidates for Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, to be held in 2017.

In the 2012 state elections, Samajwadi Party had lost 140 of 143 seats.

"The party is declaring candidates for 143 seats. On these seats, the party does not have MLAs at present," SP spokesman Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters here.

The list includes 27 candidates from Muslim community, 18 from Yadav and 12 women, besides others. The state has 403 seats in total.

"The tickets were declared early so that the candidates could get more time for preparation. Of the 143 seats, 21 are reserved," the spokesperson said.

Among those who were given tickets included Umar Ali Khan, son-in-law of Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmad Bukhari, from Behat seat, sitting Peace Party MLA Anis-ur-Rehman from Kanth while Independent MLA Vijay Singh has been given a ticket from Farukhabad seat.

According to Indian Express, the party has replaced 85 candidates who had contested the elections in 2012.

Leaders who have been denied tickets for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls include Rani Pakshalika Singh from Khairagarh. Pakshalika is the wife of former minister Raja Aridaman Singh, who had won Bah — the lone seat in Agra for Samajwadi Party — in 2012. Chandrabhushan Bundela of Lalitpur has also been denied ticket.