Mayawati announces list, puts money on party hoppers, criminals

At least eight candidates with known criminal background have been given Lok Sabha tickets by BSP chief Mayawati who has fielded party hoppers in over a quarter of the 80 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

While Arun Kumar Shukla, a history sheeter from Luckow, has been fielded from Unnao, DP Yadav will contest from Badaun.

Others candidates with criminal background include brothers Afzal Ansari (Ghazipur) and Mukhtar Ansari(Varanasi); Bhishm Shankar Tiwari (Sant Kabir Nagar) and Vinay Shankar Tiwari (Gorakhpur)-- sons of historysheeter Hari Shankar Tiwari -, Dhanjay Singh from Jaunpur and former MP Rizwan Zaheer from Shravasti.

As many as 20 leaders, who left their parties and joined the BSP ranks recently, figure prominently in the list announced by UP chief minister Mayawati here on Friday.

Former MLA and minister Naresh Agarwal, once considered a close lieutenant of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, has been fielded from Farukkhabad seat.

Naresh, who won the last assembly election on SP ticket from Hardoi, was appointed as BSP's national general secretary after he quit SP.

Shahid Siddiqui, who parted ways from the SP over nuclear deal issue, is another turncoat to be obliged by Mayawati. Shafeeq-ur-Rehman Barq, who was the first SP leader to revolt over Mulayam's bonhomie with Kalyan Singh, has been fielded from Sambhal.

Sitting SP MPs Devendra Singh Yadav has been named as party nominee from Etah and Kirti Vardhan Singh has been fielded from Gonda parliamentary seat, from where he was elected last time as well.

Interestingly, Singh left the SP, after his candidature was announced by the party.

Jai Prakash Rawat, who was elected on SP ticket the last time, has been fielded from Mohanlalganj reserved seat. Another prominent SP leader who found favour with Mayawati is brother of Mukhtar Ansari, Afzal Ansari who was denied a ticket by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Former SP MLA Arun Shanker Shukla Anna would contest from Unnao.

It is not that the BSP had only given chance to SP turncoats. The party has also obliged leaders of other opposition parties as well.

Shivkant Ojha, a leader hailing from Pratapgarh, was once considered as a BJP stalwart. Having won assembly elections twice on BJP ticket, he enjoyed a cabinet minister rank during Rajnath Singh stint as UP chief minister.

Ojha, has been named as BSP candidate from Pratapgarh parliamentary constituency.

Announcing the list, Mayawati said she would launch her national campaign from Thiruvanathapuram tomorrow and come out with the list of party candidates for rest of the country in four-five days.

Sukhda Mishra, is yet another former BJP leader, who would be contesting Lok Sabha election as a BSP nominee.

A three-time MP and a former minister, Mishra left the party recently to joined BSP and has been named as party candidate from Kanpur parliamentary constituency.

Surendra Nath Awasthi alias Puttu Awasthi, who once enjoyed a good rapport with the BJP national president Rajnath Singh, would be contesting as BSP candidate from Kaisarganj seat.

Puttu was initially associated with the Congress and had won assembly election several times on party ticket from Haidergarh seat.

Later, he vacated the seat for Rajnath Singh, who was seeking election as the chief minister.

Akhilesh Das, who is fray for the prestigious Lucknow parliamentary seat as BSP nominee, has his roots in the Congress. Das, who was elected to Rajya Sabha member, was a minister of State for Steel in the UPA government.

He left the party last year and joined BSP and was given charge as the national general secretary.