Parties in a fix over UP's Tundla Assembly bypoll

Lucknow: Political parties in Uttar Pradesh are in confusion since the announcement of Assembly bypoll dates by the Election Commission on Saturday. The state's Tundla Assembly segment in Firozabad district does not figure in the list of constituencies scheduled to go for bypolls on October 21.

The Tundla Assembly seat was vacated by Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Agra in May this year. And the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- which has a dismal record of winning Assembly bypolls -- is going all out to retain the constituency, even though it is yet to announce a candidate from Tundla.

Shrikant Sharma has been made in-charge of the Tundla Assembly bypoll and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently held a public rally in the constituency.

The other parties meanwhile have announced their candidates for the constituency. The Samajwadi Party has named Maharaj Singh Dhangar, Bahujan Samaj Party has named Sunil Chittor, while the Congress has nominated Snehlata Babli.

However, the district administration of Firozabad has also not received any information related to Tundla bypolls, said Sub Divisional Magistrate Aditya Shrivastav.

"We have provided the information to all districts on the basis of the information provided by the Central Commission (EC). There is no information on Tundla. If we receive any information on Tundla, it would be immediately conveyed," said Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Chandra.

As the MLA from Tundla, Baghel was given a ministerial position in the Adityanath-led state Cabinet. However, he resigned from the seat after he winning the Lok Sabha election and becoming an MP.

His Scheduled Caste certificate, submitted with his nomination papers, though has been challenged in the Supreme Court after his election. The bypoll to his Assmebly constituency has been put on hold as the matter is subjudice.