New Delhi: Ten candidates from the NDA and three from the SP filed their nomination papers on Monday for the biennial elections to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Notably, Monday is the last date for filing nomination papers for the MLC polls.
The NDA nominees, including seven from the BJP, submitted their papers in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, reported news agency PTI.
Among the BJP candidates were former ministers Mahendra Singh and Ashok Katariya, state BJP vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak, Mohit Beniwal, Ram Tirath Singhal (former mayor of Jhansi), and Dharmendra Singh.
Additionally, Ashish Patel of Apna Dal (S), Yogesh Chaudhary of Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Vichhelal of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) also filed their nominations.
Apart from the chief minister, his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar also accompanied the NDA candidates during the nomination filing, as per the PTI report.
Expressing his support, Adityanath congratulated all the NDA candidates on X, wishing them success in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections. ” “Hearty congratulations to all the NDA candidates who filed nomination today for the post of member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council! Best wishes to all of you for your victory!” he posted.
उत्तर प्रदेश विधान परिषद के सदस्य पद के चुनाव हेतु आज नामांकन करने वाले NDA के सभी प्रत्याशियों को हार्दिक बधाई!
आप सभी की विजय हेतु अनंत शुभकामनाएं! pic.twitter.com/f8BxcvHO8S
— Yogi Adityanath (मोदी का परिवार) (@myogiadityanath) March 11, 2024
From the SP, senior leader Balram Yadav, former MLA Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali, and Kiranpal Kashyap submitted their nomination papers. Yadav expressed confidence in the SP’s nomination and pledged to support Pichhde, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (PDA) candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Jamali, who recently joined the SP after leaving the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), emphasized the importance of PDA, stating that it is more than just rhetoric and will yield positive results in the forthcoming polls, the PTI report added.
The term of 13 members of the UP Legislative Council ends in May this year, with the last date for withdrawal of names set for March 14. If required, voting will be held on March 21, with vote counting scheduled for later that day.