Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party on Saturday named candidates for the Gorakhpur and Kanpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The party fielded another Nishad community member as its candidate from the coveted Gorakhpur seat in Uttar Pradesh. Ram Bhuwal Nishad is the SP candidate from Gorakhpur. The SP also announced that Ram Kumar will be its nominee on the Kanpur seat.
Ram Bhuwal Nishad had been two-time MLA from Kaudiram Assembly seat, now Gorakhpur rural, and had also been the fisheries minister during BSP chief Mayawati’s government in 2007.
The development comes a day after the Nishad Party quit the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in the state.
There are 80 Lok Sabh seats at stake in Uttar Pradesh, out of which SP will contest on 37 seats, BSP on 38 seats and RLD on 3 seats. Two seats have been left for the Congress.
Polling in Utta Pradesh will take place in all seven phases of polling, starting April 11. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.