SP releases 4th list, Akhilesh fields sister-in-law Aparna Yadav from Lucknow cantt.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party on Monday announced 33 names in its fourth list of candidates for upcoming Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav has fielded sister-in law-Aparna Yadav, who is married to his step-brother Prateek, from Lucknow Cantt. Aparna, whose name was endorsed by father-in-law and party patriarch Mulayam Singh, will be contesting against sitting MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who joined the BJP after quitting the Congress some time ago. In its fourth list released by SP state president Naresh Uttam, candidates were also declared for Varanasi, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Ballia, Kannauj, Lucknow, Fatehpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh. The party gave ticket to Rajesh Kushwaha from Ghazipur in place of sitting MLA and minister Vijay Mishra. Former minister Shadab Fatima, close to SP leader Shivpal Yadav who was sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was also denied ticket from Jahurabad seat (Ghazipur) and Mahendra Chauhan replaced her from the seat. The party also changed its candidate from Gopalpur seat (Azamgarh) and gave ticket to Nafis Ahmad in place of sitting MLA and state minister Wasim Ahmad. Capping days of feverish parleys, Congress and Samajwadi Party forged an alliance to contest the UP Assembly polls together, with the ruling party leaving 105 of the 403 seats for its alliance partner. Though SP has so far given tickets to 324 candidates, it will ask its nominees to withdraw from those constituencies it has offered to Congress as part of seat-sharing agreement. SP will contest 298 seats under the arrangement.