SP announces mayoral candidates for UP local bodies polls

Lucknow, Oct 4 (UNI) The ruling Samajwadi Party today announced its mayoral candidates for urban local bodies' polls to be held later this month.

Congress candidate for Lucknow mayor's post Dr Mansoor Ahmed, earlier in the day filed his nominations in the presence of Union Minister Akhilesh Das and UPCC president Salman Khurshid. A former IPS officer, Mr Ahmed had also been the Vice-Chancellor of Agra University.

For Lucknow, SP has decided to field gynaecologist Dr Madhu Gupta. She had been the party's candidate for mayor's posts in the previous elections too.

In Ghaziabad, SP has fielded Ms Anjula Nagpal, whereas in Gorakhpur the SP candidate is Sitaram Jaiswal.

Allahabad's SP candiate would be V C Dubey and in Varanasi the party has decided to field Kanhayyalal Gupta. Jamir-ullah Khan (Aligarh), Dr Shagufta Yasmin (Bareilly) and Khurshida Ansari (Meerut) would be SP's other candidates for mayor's post.

Political parties are considering the elections as crucial in the run up to the assembly elections, due early next year.

Candidates can submit their nominations for all the three phases of elections till October 6, while scrutiny of papers would be done on October 9. The nominations can be withdrawn on October 12.

On September 25, the State Election Commission had issued notification for urban local body polls after much delay following Allahabad High Court's directive to hold elections at the earliest.

Elections for the Nagar Palika Parishad would be held on October 28, for corporations on October 31 and for Nagar Panchayats on November 3.

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