LJP to announce candidates for phase I of UP polls tomorrow

New Delhi, Mar 15 (UNI) The Lok Janshakti Party will tomorrow announce party candidates for 23 Assembly seats, which would go to polls in the first phase in Uttar Pradesh.

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters here that though the list of candidates for these seats has been finalised, it would be announced tomorrow.

A total of 62 constituencies would go to polls in the first phase in Uttar Pradesh.

Welcoming Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Shoaib Iqbal into the party fold, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters here that the party would field candidates on 135 seats in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections scheduled to be held on April 5.

Party nominees for 35 corporation seats have also been finalised, Mr Paswan added.

Mr Iqbal, a JD(S) member and three time MLA, joined LJP today.

Mr Paswan said the entry of Mr Iqbal would strengthen the party's support base. ''It was in-sync with LJP's secular credentials,'' he added.

Mr Iqbal said that he left JD(S) as it has entered into an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka. Mr Iqbal claimed that he was earlier suspended by the JD(S) over the same issue.

He said that he will try to ensure that the LJP got the maximum Muslim-Dalit votes in both Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Mr Paswan said his party has entered into an alliance with the Jan Morcha. The alliance would contest on altogether 109 seats in Uttar Pradesh. About 40 per cent of these seats were reserved, he said.

The LJP would field its candidates at Puranpur, Powayan, Hadha, Mhoanlalganj, Gouriganj, Harraiya, Naugarh, Bansgaon, Mehnagar, Doaba, Chandauli, Bara, Manjhanpur, Bilhaur, Ajitmal, Firozabad, Garhmukteshwar, Behta, Rari, Hastinapur, Barhaj and Sohawal assembly constituties of Uttar Pradesh.

Asked whether, he would demand a Muslim Chief Minister for Uttar Pradesh like he did in Bihar, Mr Paswan said that he would count the chicken when the eggs hatched. He also denied comment on the Nandigram incident ''being a minister of UPA government'' as the Left was supporting it.

UNI