Samajwadi Party releases its 1st list of 191 candidates, Shivpal too gets ticket

New Delhi: After finding a solution to its intra-party tussle, post which the Samajwadi party symbol, and party name went to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party on Friday released its first list of 191 candidates for the forthcoming assembly elections.   What came as a surprise is Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Yadav, who has not shared very cordial relations with Akhilesh in the past has also been given a ticket from Samajwadi Party to fight elections from Jaswant Nagar. Also, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam has been given a ticket from Suar (Rampur). Azam has played safe throughout the feud that was on between Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, and acted as a peacemaker between the two. As the tussle has been ended by Mulayam and Akhilesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is popularly known as Netaji in the whole of Uttar Pradesh will also be campaign for Akhilesh Yadav for the upcoming elections. Hopes of a ‘maha gathbandhan’ against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh were on Thursday dashed, with the Samajwadi Party ruling out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), but asserted a tie-up with the Congress. “We will forge an alliance only with the Congress. We will not ally with the RLD. No talks are going on with them (RLD). We will contest from over 300 seats (out of 403) and the Congress will be there for the rest of them,” SP national vice president Kironmoy Nanda said.