LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday issued a fresh list of 24 candidates for the upcoming seven-phase Assembly election starting February 10.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led party named Sabhawati Shukla, wife of late BJP leader Upendra Dutt Shukla against CM Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur (Urban) Assembly constituency.
Upendra Dutt Shukla was fielded by the BJP to fight the by-poll on the Gorakhpur seat vacated by CM Yogi Adityanath who had taken up the membership of State Legislative Council after becoming UP CM.
The by-poll for the Gorakhpur seat was held in 2018 and the BJP had lost it to Praveen Nishad, the SP candidate supported by the BSP. Praveen is the son of Dr Sanjay Nishad who heads the NISAHD Party which is now in alliance with the BJP in UP. Nishad has joined NDA in 2019.
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Even in 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP had fielded actor Ravi Kishan from the same seat and the party won it with a huge margin of around a lakh votes.
Adityanath, who recently filed his nomination from the Gorakhpur seat in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, has sought a massive mandate for the BJP again citing development, good governance and nationalism during his campaign.
This is the first time Adityanath is contesting the assembly election. He has represented Gorakhpur in Parliament five times.
Meanwhile, of the 24 candidates declared by the SP on Monday, six are Brahmins, six non-Yadav OBCs, four Yadavs, three SCs, two Thakurs, two Muslims, a Bhumihar.