Anticipating early general elections in view of the uncertainty of the UPA-11 government over FDI in retail and hike in diesel price, the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh along with other political parties have decided to accelerate their process to select the Lok Sabha candidates. The ruling Samajwadi Party is all set to announce the party’s Lok Sabha candidates within a month, probably during the coming Navratra, a senior party leader told UNI here today. The BJP has also started the process for the selection of the candidates and their first list is expected by December. The Congress has started the process last week with appointment of Zonal heads and in-charge of the Lok Sabha constituencies. The BSP had already announced several candidates for the Lok Sabha locally though there is no official word on it. “The Central Parliamentary Board of the Samajwadi Party would soon meet at Lucknow to give its approval on the names of the Lok Sabha candidates.” In the first phase, names of 50 candidates are likely to be cleared by the party, sources said. There is also a possibility that some ‘big’ leaders from other political parties could be given ticket by the SP in the Lok Sabha elections only on their winnable prospect, the leader said.
—UNI