39 sitting MLAs in SP's 3rd list of UP poll candidates

Lucknow, Mar 16 (UNI) The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) today released the third list of 88 candidates for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

Thirty-nine sitting MLAs, including rebels from the Opposition BSP and BJP.

The party has also fielded some of the 13 rebel BSP MLAs disqualified by the Supreme Court on February 14 for forming a splinter group and mering with the SP.

Such disqualified MLAs in the list include Rajendra Singh Rana, who had spearheaded a vertical split in BSP after Ms Mayawati resigned as Chief Minister.

SP supremo and CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had earlier in the day announced to contest from Bharthana and Gunnaur, also figure in the list.

The party had released the first list on March 1, which had 58 names. The second list released earlier this week had 23 names. With this, SP has released the names of 169 candidates for the seven phase UP election commencing April 7.

UNI