13 candidates file nominations for UP Legislative Council polls

Lucknow: Thirteen candidates –10 of the BJP, two of the Samajwadi Party and an Independent –have filed their nominations for the January 28 election to 12 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, the Election Commission said Monday.

Monday was the last date for filing nominations.

According to an Election Commission statement, 10 BJP candidates and Independent nominee Mahesh Chandra Sharma filed their nomination papers on the last day.

The BJP candidates in the fray are Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, party state unit president Swatantra Dev Singh, retired IAS Arvind Kumar Sharma, Ashwini Tyagi, Govind Narayan, Dharamveer Singh, Manvendra Singh Kunwar, Laxman Prasad, Salil Bishnoi and Surendra Chaudhary.

Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates Ahmad Hasan and Rajendra Chowdhury had filed their nominations earlier.

The scrutiny of the nominations will be held on Tuesday and withdrawal of names can be done till January 21.

In the 100-member UP Legislative Council, the Samajwadi Party has 55 members, BJP has 25, BSP eight, Congress and Nirdaliye Samooh two each, and Apna Dal (S) and Shikshak Dal one each. There are three independent MLCs, while three seats are vacant.

Of the 12 members whose tenure is expiring, six are from the Samajwadi Party -- Ramesh Yadav, Ahmed Hasan, Ashu Malik, Sahab Singh Saini, Ramjatan Rajbhar and Virendra Singh.

Those from the BJP are Deputy Chief Minister Sharma, state party chief Singh and Laxman Acharya.

The tenure of the BSP's Pradeep Jatav and Dharamveer Ashok is also coming to an end.

The tenure of Naseemudin Siddiqui, who left the BSP and then joined the Congress, is also coming to an end.