Lucknow: The Samajawadi Party on Thursday released its seventh list of candidates to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. It named Nasir Qureshi from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily, Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi, and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar.
The most interesting pick was that of Pooja Pal, wife of former BSP MLA from Allahabad-West Raju Pal who was allegedly murdered by the brother of jailed gangster Atique Ahmad. She will contest against the Congress’ Annu Tandon and the BJP’s Sakshi Maharaj.
In 2002, Raju Pal had contested the Assembly polls against Ahmad and lost. The seat fell vacant two years later after Ahmad was elected to the Lok Sabha. In the subsequent bypoll in November 2004, Raju Pal had defeated Ahmad's brother Ashraf. In January 2005, Raju Pal was murdered in broad daylight while on the way to his village for the Republic Day Parade. Ashraf is the prime accused in the murder and Ahmad has also been charged for abetting the crime.
In the 2007 Assembly elections, Pooja Pal had defeated Ashraf from Allahabad-West.
As an alliance candidate, the SP has fielded Haji Nasir Qureshi from Moradabad. Qureshi had earlier contested the state Assembly elections from Kaanth on a BSP ticket. However, he switched over to SP during the local body elections in 2017.
Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar, who will contest from Bareilly, has been the Minister of State for Small Scale Industries and Export Promotion in Uttar Pradesh and has also represented Nawabganj assembly constituency of Bareilly on an SP ticket.
Jhansi candidate Shyam Sunder Singh Yadav has also contested state Assembly elections on an SP ticket from Babina. Yadav had switched over to the BJP and became an MLC before rejoining the SP in 2016.
Kushinagar candidate Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha had earlier contested the state Assembly elections from Padrauna, Khadda and Sevrahi seats. Kushwaha, associated with the education sector, runs several schools and colleges.
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