Samajwadi Party dropped Arvdind from Rajya Sabha list

Lucknow: The Samajwadi party seems to have bowed to pressure against second Thakur nominee, Arvind Singh, after Amar Singh, for the Rajya Sabha elections next month. The party has supported Surendra Singh Nagar in his place. He has already filed his papers along with six others.

Several leaders including some from the muslim community had protested against selection of two candidates from the same caste, neglecting others.

As far as the selection of Nagar is concerned, the party has gone for him because he is a 'Gujjar' and can tilt the caste balance in favour of the party in the ‘Jat belt’. The reports of BSP seeking support of the community leader Ajit Singh in the Rajya Sabha poll might have played a role too in this regard.

The Samajwadi party too may seek Ajit support as may some other parties. He has not opened his cards yet and could go in favour of any one of them. In case of him not backing the SP, selection of Nagar will be helpful for the party.

The elections will be held to fill 11 U P seats which will fall vacant in July. The party can hope to win seven of these seats in the biennial poll. The BSP can bag two and the Congress and BJP one each on their present strength in the state assembly.

As many as 13 upper house vacancies will also be filled in the same month.

Following SP candidates filed their nominations on Wednesday:

Amar Singh,Rewati Raman Singh, Sanjay Seth, Veni Prasad Verma, Surendra Singh Nagar, Bishambhar Nishad and Sukhram Singh Yadav.