New Delhi: Samajwadi Party has finalised the names of candidates who will be in the fray for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. Akhilesh Yadav-led SP has fielded former Union Minister Kapil Sibal in the race to the upper house. Sibal filed the nomination today in front of party chief Akhilesh Yadav and said that he had quit the Congress party on May 16. After filing the nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections, Sibal said to ABP News, " It is important to be an independent voice. While staying in Opposition we want to create an alliance so that we can oppose the Modi govt. I was a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh last time."
About quitting the grand old party Congress, Sibal said, "I'll not say anything about Congress. I've resigned, so it's not appropriate for me to say anything about Congress. It's not easy to leave a relationship of 30-31 years."
SP president Akhilesh Yadav also confirmed to ABP News that the former Rajya Sabha member Javed Ali Khan will also file a nomination for the upper house elections. He added that his wife and former MP from Kanauj Dimple Yadav will also be in the fray for the polls this time.
Akhilesh Yadav further said, "Today Kapil Sibal filed nomination. He is going to Rajya Sabha with SP's support. Two more people can go to the House. Kapil Sibal is a senior lawyer. He has presented his opinions well in the Parliament.We hope he'll present opinions of both SP as well as himself."
Reports suggest that the Samajwadi Part chose Sibal as their candidate after the Supreme Court lawyer took up Azam Khan’s case in the apex court and finally got him out last week.
“If he (Sibal) managed to pursue Azam Khan’s bail successfully and got the party veteran out of jail, the party should send him to the Upper House,” said a senior party leader to ANI.
“I will be the happiest person if SP is thinking of fielding him (Sibal) as a party candidate for Rajya Sabha. He is competent and deserves it,” Khan said on Tuesday to ANI.