Taking a U-turn, the Samajwadi Party fielded candidates for the upcoming by-elections to Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council with Ram Jatan Rajbhar and Ram Karan Nirmal filing their nominations after Bharatiya Janata Party’s Padamsen Chaudhary and Manvender Singh filed their papers on Thursday, the last date for filing nomination.

The two seats had fallen vacant following the resignation of Laxman Acharya after his appointment as the Governor of Sikkim and the death of BJP member Banwari Lal Dohre.

While Acharya’s tenure was till January 2027, the term of Dohre was to expire in July, 2028.

The notification for the bypoll was issued on May 11 and Thursday was the last day for filing nomination.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Friday. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 22. The polling will be held on May 29 and the results will be declared on the same day.

The BJP, on Wednesday, announced Chaudhary and Singh as its candidates for the bypoll to the 100-member UP Legislative Council where the party enjoys a comfortable majority while SP national president Akhilesh had claimed that his party will not contest the election. After Yadav’s statement it seemed that both BJP leaders would be elected unopposed.

SP’s Ram Jatan Rajbhar is a Dalit while Ram Kiran Nirmal belongs to the backward community.

BJP’s Padmasen Chaudhary was an MP from Bahraich and Manvendra Singh had served two terms as an MLC.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak were among those present when Chaudhary and Singh filed their nominations.