While the seat-sharing talks among the INDIA bloc partners —Samajwadi Party and the Congress — have not reached a logical conclusion in UP, the former rattled the grand old party by announcing 16 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The first list has three Yadav family members, including sitting MP Dimple Yadav for the Mainpuri seat, Prof Ram Gopal Yadav’s son Akshya from Firozabad and Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin Dharmendra from Badaun. Meanwhile, the SP took the lead in announcing the list of candidates on seats like Lakhimpur Kheri and Farrukhabad which were being eyed by the Congress.
BJP plans ‘Ram Darshan Yatra’ for devotees
Having woven a strong narrative around the pran-pratishtha of Ram Lalla in his final abode in Ayodhya in presence of PM Modi, the ruling saffron brigade will not allow it to subside with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. It is using every trick up its sleeves to keep the issue alive. On Friday, the ruling party rolled out “Ram Darshan Yatra” plan for Ram devotees. The first batch of pilgrims from Kanpur Dehat arrived Ayodhya by UP State Road Transport Corporation buses. Beginning Friday, the darshan programme would continue till March or even beyond till Ram Navami on April 17.
BJP’s renaming spree on; Aligarh, Ghaziabad in line
The BJP government in UP had been in the renaming mode since 2018 after coming to power in 2017. After renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj and Faizabad as Ayodhya in 2018, the proposals for renaming Aligarh as Harinagar and Ghaziabad as Gajnagar or Harnandi Nagar are already afloat. Firozabad is the latest to join the league of districts set to be renamed. The Glass City of India (Firozabad) may soon be known as Chandranagar if the claim made by UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh holds any water. In ancient times Firozabad was known as Chandranagar and Jain king Chandrasen was its ruler.
Namita Bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@ newindianexpress.com