Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has said that all INDIA bloc candidates will contest the upcoming by-polls in Uttar Pradesh on his party’s election symbol, ‘cycle.’
Bypolls are scheduled for November 13 across nine seats including Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).
Eight of the seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha, while the by-poll in Sisamau is being held due to the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.
Congress’s UP leadership had indicated earlier that they would not contest the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh if they did not get Phulpur and Meerapur seats.
The Congress had originally demanded five of 10 Assembly seats (including Milkipur). The Samajwadi Party, however, last week said the Congress had agreed to contest on two seats, Ghaziabad and Khair, leaving the rest to the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. But, the Congress was apparently upset with the Samajwadi Party’s two-seat offer, sources said earlier.
Sources said that Akhilesh Yadav had already fielded Muslim candidates on the two seats demanded by the Congress – Meerapur and Phulpur.
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