Sambhal Lok Sabha MP from Samajwadi Party, Shafiqur Rahman Barq has rebelled against the party as he announced his support to an independent candidate in the upcoming civic polls in the state. Rukhsana Iqbal has been fielded by SP from Sambhal but Barq has announced his support to Independent candidate Farhan Saifi. As per sources, Barq opposed party MLA Iqbal Mahmood’s wife, Rukhsana being fielded as the candidate. 


Considered as a semi-final before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the UP Nikay Chunav 2023 will take place in two phases across the state with pollings on May 4 and May 11 while the votes will be counted on May 13. 


As many as 37 districts under Lucknow city, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Devipatan, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi divisions will vote in the first phase on May 4. 


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The second phase of the polls on May 11 will feature 38 districts under nine other divisions — Bareilly, Kanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Basti, Azamgarh, and Mirzapur.


On Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its list of candidates for the first of polling Fielding 250 Muslim candidates for the upcoming civic polls or the nikay chunav. 


For the first time, the saffron party has fielded a large number of Muslim candidates from Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Agra and Firozabad.


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Meanwhile, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded Muslim candidates for the post of mayor in six out of 10 municipal corporations, the saffron party has fielded candidates from the minority communities for Firozabad, Lucknow, Amethi Nagar Panchayat elections.


The BSP has nominated Sayeed Ahmed as its candidate from Prayagraj amid discussions about the name of Shaista, wife of mafia Atiq Ahmed. Apart from this, BSP has declared Subhash Chandra Manjhi as the candidate for the post of Mayor in the Varanasi Municipal Corporation elections.