The Samajwadi Party may change a dozen candidates announced for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The party has announced about 76 candidates so far and about ten of them have already been changed.
The party, which has been reviewing the impact and performance of its candidates in their respective constituencies, has received unfavourable reports of about a dozen candidates.
“These candidates have not been able to connect with the voters and also the local party workers. Some of them have been lazy and have not started campaigning or popularising the achievements of the Akhilesh Yadav government. They have not been following the directives of the party and this is indiscipline. Such candidates will be replaced soon,” said a senior party functionary.
SP is not taking any chances when it comes to candidate selection and is also taking independent feedback about its candidates. The party is also keeping in mind the rapidly changing political scenario in UP while reviewing the candidates.
“We expect the BJP to completely polarise the situation in states like UP and Bihar by the time elections are actually held and we need candidates who are acceptable to both communities and have a strong image. This is not the time for obliging people with tickets. For us, every seat counts and we are working on this,” the party leader said.
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SC advances hearing in Babri case
Ridhima Malhotra
New Delhi, Sept. 3
The Supreme Court on Tuesday advanced by about two months the date of hearing in the Babri Masjid demolition case against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani and 19 others, allowing the CBI’s plea for an early hearing.
A bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi passed the order and preponed the case, which was earlier listed for hearing in December, to the first week of October. The CBI’s plea seeking preponement of the hearing was not opposed by the BJP leader.
The CBI had approached the apex court challenging the Allahabad high court verdict dropping conspiracy charge against Advani and 19 others in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Pleading for an early hearing, senior advocate P.P. Rao, appearing for the CBI, submitted that the case was earlier directed to be listed for hearing in September but registry record says that the matter will be taken up by the apex court in December.
The apex court had earlier pulled up the CBI for the delay in filing an appeal against the Allahabad high court verdict. The agency had filed an appeal in the apex court challenging the verdicts of a special CBI court and the Allahabad high court dropping conspiracy charge against Advani, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Murli Manohar Joshi.