Mini-Assembly polls loom large as sitting MLAs stand for Lok Sabha

While the Samajwadi Party has taken a lead in fielding sitting MLAs — 16 of them are in the fray for the Lok Sabha – the BSP,the Congress and the BJP have too fielded sitting MLAs,albeit in smaller numbers. Of the over 30 sitting MLAs in fray,at least 12 are in direct fights. “We have fielded two sitting MLAs and both are potential winners. These are Pradeep Jain Aditya from Jhansi and R P N Singh,sitting MLA from Padrauna,as a candidate from Kushinagar,” said Subodh Srivastava,the chief spokesperson of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. The Congress has also fielded a sitting MLC,Gaje Singh,from Saharanpur. The party is supporting MLA from Mohanlalganj,R K Chaudhary,for the Mohanlalganj parliamentary seat as an Independent.

In the SP,party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav tops the list. Mulayam is the sitting MLA from Etawah and is fighting Lok Sabha election from Mainpuri. “Neta ji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) ke sath sath humara harek vidhayak majboot candidate hai. Isiliye to unhe field kiya hai,” said Rajendra Chaudhary,SP spokesperson.

SP candidate from Varanasi Ajay Rai,who is a sitting BJP MLA from Kolasala,is giving a good fight to Mukhtar Ansari and Murli Manohar Joshi. Another important name in the SP list is MLA Mata Prasad Pandey from Sidhartha Nagar,who has been given ticket in Dumariyaganj.

The party has also fielded sitting MLAs from Sambhal,Amroha,Moradabad,Bare-illy,Aonla,Meerut,Pilip-hit,Unnao,Basti,Kushinagar,Azamgarh and Chandauli.

All parties say they had no option but to field MLAs,although it also means getting ready for Assembly by-elections. Said a senior BJP leader,“In certain seats,there was no other candidate. So,we had to field the sitting MLAs who have made an impact in the area.”

The BJP has fielded sitting MLA Lalji Tondon from Lucknow. Other sitting BJP MLAs who are doing well are Lallu Singh from Faizabad,Hukkum Singh on Kairana seat and Satish Mahana from Kanpur,who is giving a good fight to Union Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal. Others include Ram Naresh Rawat from Barabanki and Krishna Raj from Shahjahanpur.

The BSP has fielded sitting MLA from Mau Mukhtar Ansari as their candidate from Varanasi,sitting MLA from Rari Assembly seat Dhananjay Singh from Jaunpur,Samajwadi Party MLA from Malihabad Gauri Shankar as BSP candidate from Etawah,MLA from Morna Assembly seat Kadir Rana from Muzaffarnagar,sitting MLA from Mant area Shyam Sundar Sharma from Mathura,Rajive Channa from Moradabad,and DP Yadav from Badaun.

Interestingly,assuming the victory of their sitting MLAs,parties have also started thinking of the by-elections. Also,the aspirants for tickets have started lobbying.