Samajwadi Party Unveils Candidates For 16 UP Lok Sabha Seats Amidst INDIA Bloc Tensions

On Tuesday, the Samajwadi Party officially disclosed its candidates for 16 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. This revelation followed Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav's announcement that the party had earmarked 11 seats for its ally Congress within the INDIA bloc. Notably, Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav's wife, will be contesting from Mainpuri, while Shafiqur Rahman Barq and Ravidas Mehrotra are slated for Sambhal and Lucknow, respectively.

The Samajwadi Party's announcement added a new twist to the unfolding seat-sharing negotiations within the INDIA bloc. The first list of candidates from the Samajwadi Party comprises 11 OBCs, with one Muslim, one Dalit, one Thakur, one Tandon, and one Khatri candidate. Among the OBC candidates are four Kurmi, three Yadav, two Shakya, one Nishad, and one Pal.

This development occurs against the backdrop of fissures within the Opposition's INDIA bloc, with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar defecting to the NDA. Additionally, in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has declared her intention to contest the upcoming polls independently.