Now Samajwadi Party has become the first party in UP which has released the list of its candidates for assembly polls. The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party has asked certain candidates to start working in their constituencies but they are not certain whether their names would figure in final official list of BSP.

Samajwadi Party leaders are aware of the fact that Akhilesh Yadav mounted pressure on party high command to release the list of party candidates at the earliest. There is realization in the party that candidates should have ample time to work in his or her constituency. Samajwadi Party list has 39 sitting MLAs while 63 are new candidates. Importance has been given to Yadavs and Muslims while making the list.

As many as 39 Muslims including controversial leader and former minister Mohd Azam Khan have been given party tickets. It would be worth mentioning here that Mohd Azam who had been very close to Mulayam Singh Yadav had left the party over differences with Amar Singh who is out of party now. With Azam back in the party fold, Samajwadi Party hopes to win over Muslims in a big way which would help in increasing the tally of party MLAs.

Other important leaders who have been given party tickets include Mr Shivpal Yadav, who is younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Leader of the opposition in UP Assembly. Akhilesh Yadav has given old party loyalists like Ambika Choudhry from Pephana in Ballia, Rajiv Kumar from Dariyabad in Barabanki and Abbas Ali Zaidi from Rudauli in Barabanki.

Old loyalists former Speaker Mata Prasad Pande, Dr Waqar Ahmad Shah, Ram Govind Choudhry , Om Prakash Singh, Shyam Charan Gupta,Virendra Singh ,Ashok Bajpai ,Vishambar Prasad Nishad have also been given party tickets.

When loyalty became the criteria, Akhilesh Yadav also included the names of those party candidates who had lost the polls in 2002 and 2007.

The list also includes nine women and 63 new faces which would give advantage to party at polls. Significantly enough, daughter of former chief secretary Akhand Pratap Singh has also been given ticket from Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav wants Anna Hazare to lead his crusade against corruption of Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh.

Talking to newsmen in Lucknow Mr Akhilesh Yadav said his party had been fighting against corruption of Mayawati government for the last four years.

SP leader said that Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption was very important as it got the support from entire nation. At the same time, he urged Anna Hazare to visit UP and launch agitation against Mayawati government which institutionalised the corruption.
Mr Yadav said that Mayawati government was involved in huge corruption in purchases of hospital equipment meant for post mortem and operation theatre.

It was only because of high level corruption in medicines and health sector which led to murder of three senior officials in past few months, the government had to remove two senior ministers, he said.

Launching attack on constructions of memorials by Mayawati government, Mr Yadav said that while ignoring the development of the state, the state government had spent crores of rupees in the construction of statue of Aashtadhatu material which was several times expensive than statues of stones.

SP leader said that people of the state were fed up with dictatorial attitude of BSP government and were looking toward Samajwadi Party to provide alternative government in 2012. (IPA Service)