UP polls: Akhilesh's sister-in-law Aparna Yadav to contest on SP ticket

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday fielded Aparna Yadav, wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav's second son Prateek, from Lucknow Cantonment seat as it released its fourth list, comprising 31 candidates, for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Aparna will take on BJP's Rita Bahuguna, a former MLA from the constituency who recently joined the party after quitting Congress.

In its fourth list released by SP state president Naresh Uttam, candidates were also declared for Varanasi, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Ballia, Kannauj, Lucknow, Fatehpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh.

The party gave ticket to Rajesh Kushwaha from Ghazipur in place of sitting MLA and minister Vijay Mishra.

Former minister Shadab Fatima, close to SP leader Shivpal Yadav who was sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was also denied ticket from Jahurabad seat (Ghazipur) and Mahendra Chauhan replaced her from the seat.

The party also changed its candidate from Gopalpur seat (Azamgarh) and gave ticket to Nafis Ahmad in place of sitting MLA and state minister Wasim Ahmad.

Capping days of feverish parleys, Congress and Samajwadi Party forged an alliance to contest the UP Assembly polls together, with the ruling party leaving 105 of the 403 seats for its alliance partner.

Though SP has so far given tickets to 324 candidates, it will ask its nominees to withdraw from those constituencies it has offered to Congress as part of seat-sharing agreement.SP will contest 298 seats under the arrangement.