Samajwadi Party Announces 57 Candidates for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in Uttar Pradesh

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has released the names of 57 candidates for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, as part of the INDIA alliance against the ruling BJP-led NDA. The party will be contesting 62 seats in the state, which has the highest number of Lok Sabha seats at 80.

Among the key candidates, Dimple Yadav, the wife of SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and current MP from Mainpuri, will be seeking re-election from the same constituency. Dimple Yadav won the Mainpuri parliamentary by-election in December 2022, defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 2,88,461 votes. The Mainpuri seat was previously held by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Another notable candidate is Mohibullah Nadvi, who will be fielded from the Rampur constituency. The SP has also announced candidates for several other key constituencies, including Rampur, Moradabad, Kairana, and Muzaffarnagar, as part of the INDIA alliance.

The Lok Sabha polls in India will be held in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The results will be announced on June 4. In the first phase of the elections held on Friday, polling took place in 102 seats across 21 states and union territories, including 8 seats in western Uttar Pradesh.

The Samajwadi Party alleged EVM malfunctioning and booth capturing by the BJP in Muzaffarnagar and Kairana during the first phase of polling. However, the state election commission stated that polling was largely peaceful.

Why this matters: The Samajwadi Party's announcement of candidates and its alliance with the INDIA bloc against the BJP-led NDA holds significant implications for the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh and the overall outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As the state with the highest number of parliamentary seats, Uttar Pradesh plays a critical role in determining the balance of power at the national level.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP-led NDA won 64 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, while the SP-BSP alliance could only secure 15 seats. The SP has now tied up with the Congress and the All India Trinamool Congress in Uttar Pradesh as part of the pre-poll alliance and is also supporting INDIA bloc partners in other states.

Key Takeaways

• SP announces 57 candidates for 2024 LS polls in UP, part of INDIA alliance
• Dimple Yadav to seek re-election from Mainpuri, previously held by Mulayam Singh
• SP alleges EVM issues, booth capturing by BJP in Phase 1 polling in UP
• UP has 80 LS seats, critical for national outcome; BJP won 64 in 2019
• SP ties up with Congress, TMC in UP as part of pre-poll INDIA alliance