Aparna Yadav ignored as Samajwadi Party releases 4th list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls

Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday released its 4th list of candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.  In Sambhal, the SP has chosen Shafiqur Rahman Barq over Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav. Earlier there were speculations that Aparna will contest from Sambhal but Akhilesh Yadav gave the ticket to Shafiqur Rahman Barq, who is considered the SP chief's close assosiate. Earlier, Aparna, who is married to Mulayam's son Prateek, had said she would be contesting the 2019 elections from Shivpal Singh's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL).

Sitting Kairana parliamentarian Tabassum Hasan has retained his seat but she will contest on Samajwadi Party’s symbol instead of her party Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh will contest from Gonda, while Ram Sagar Rawat will fight from Barabanki.

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— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 15, 2019

Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) had announced their alliance in January. Ajit Singh's RLD is also part of the SP-BSP grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh. As per their seat sharing pact, the Samajwadi Party will contest 37 seats and the BSP 38. Three seats have been given to the RLD while two seats - Amethi and Rae Bareli were left vacant for the Congress.