Gearing up for the forthcoming Assembly elections in 2017 the ruling Samajwadi Party has started selection of candidates for those 169 seats where the party had lost the 2012 elections.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader and MlC SRS Yadav said in a statement issued here on Friday that party has received over 1500 applications for these 169 seats and the process has begun to shortlist the candidates.
“The prospect of at least 125 candidates is being discussed everyday. Threadbare discussions are held on each and every application. The selection panel evaluates candidates’ winning prospect from a particular constituency. Two or three names are being short listed for seat,” Yadav said.
The selection panel approved by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav comprises Kailash Nath Yadav, Shahid Manzoor (both ministers), party’s national general secretary Arving Singh Gope, Kamal Akhtar, party’s vice-president Naresh Uttam and state secretary SRS Yadav.
“To start with our focus is on those seats where the party candidates had lost the last election. We are trying to identify the candidates who can turn the tide in favour of the party this time,” he said.
The selection of candidates has begun on Thursday and in these two days applications of the candidates of lucknow, Jhansi, Agra and Aligarh divisions have been scrutinized.