Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls: Samajwadi Party releases list of six candidates

Hours after former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav snubbed the Congress for making them wait "too long" for an alliance in Madhya Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party chief Saturday released its list of six candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The fresh move came just days after Mayawati ruled out any BSP alliance with the Rahul Gandhi-led party for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, a setback for opposition’s efforts to form an anti-BJP front ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election.

"Samajwadi Party releases the list of six candidates for Madhya Pradesh #AssemblyElection2018," the news agency ANI reported.

Samajwadi Party releases the list of six candidates for Madhya Pradesh #AssemblyElection2018 pic.twitter.com/UN8qMe2WPj

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018

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Early in the day, the Election Commission announced the dates for 2018 assembly elections in five states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana.

The 230-seat Madhya Pradesh assembly is scheduled to go to poll in a single phase on November 28 while the counting of votes will be held across the five states on December 11, Election Commissioner OP Rawat said.

The last date for candidates to file nomination is November 9 and scrutiny of nomination will be on November 12.

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Talking about four other states, Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, while Mizoram Assembly elections will be held on November 28. Polling in Rajasthan and Telangana will take place on December 7, the ECI said.