BJP names six for UP MLC polls, SP leans on PDA calculus
BJP fields six candidates, including three Brahmins, for UP MLC polls; SP has named candidates for all 11 seats, following its PDA formula.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday declared six candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council election to the Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies, with three Brahmins among those nominated.
Kedar Nath Singh will contest the Varanasi Graduates' seat, while Dr. Pramod Mishra has been fielded from the Varanasi Teachers' constituency. Hari Kishore Tiwari will stand from Agra and Dhruv Tripathi from Gorakhpur-Faizabad. The party has named Ashok Kumar Rathore for Prayagraj-Jhansi and Dinesh Goel, who belongs to the Vaishya community, for Meerut.
The Samajwadi Party, which had already announced its candidates for all 11 seats on Monday, has largely adhered to its Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) formula. It has fielded Yadav candidates from Varanasi, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Agra, along with Danish Akhtar from Moradabad and Parminder Bhati from Meerut.
The selections are being read against the caste combinations both parties are seeking to assemble ahead of the Assembly election.
Voting in the Legislative Council poll is restricted to graduates and members of the teaching community. The exercise is taking place amid discontent among teachers and students over recruitment, school mergers, salaries and employment security.
Teachers' constituencies have historically been dominated by independent professional bodies and non-political teachers' unions. In recent decades, however, major political parties have increasingly backed particular union factions or fielded their own candidates to strengthen their presence in the Upper House.