Congress unveils 2nd Uttar Pradesh list to target BSP-SP alliance

NEW DELHI: Hours after AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi made a politically loaded visit to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ —an emerging Dalit challenger to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati — at a Meerut hospital amid buzz of him contesting with Congress backing, the AICC on Wednesday night announced 16 more Lok Sabha candidates for Uttar Pradesh, signalling its resolve to further challenge the SP-BSP alliance.

While intensifying the mindgame against the SP-BSP, the list however, does not cover any of the sitting SP seats.

The list also includes a former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader along with several Dalit and Muslim leaders. An equally large number of upper caste candidates and rebel BJP Dalit MP Savitri Phule (Bahraich-SC) shows the party’s determination to challenge the saffron party.


The Congress also fielded seasoned Sanjay Singh from BJP MP Varun Gandhi's seat Sultanpur, a move that may force the latter to move elsewhere.

The list also includes many Congress veterans who had won the 2009 polls — Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Raj Babbar (Moradabad), Ratna Singh (Pratapgarh), Sriprakash Jaiswal (Kanpur).

Former SP leader Rakesh Sachan is fielded from Fatehpur.