Battle for UP: SP fields Subhawati Shukla against Yogi

Lucknow, Feb 7 (IANS) The Samajwadi Party on Monday released a list of 24 candidates, naming Subhawati Shukla, wife of BJP leader, late Upendra Dutt Shukla, from Gorakhpur.

Subhawati Shukla's husband was known to be against Yogi Adityanath and had lost the 2018 by-election after Yogi Adityanath resigned from the seat after he became chief minister.

By fielding Subhawati Shukla, the SP is clearly aiming at making a dent in BJP votes since Upendra Dutt Shukla was party vice president and had a good following among party cadres.

Besides, Subhawati is sure to get the backing of Brahmin voters since the Thakur-Brahmin hostility in the region is well known.

The SP list also named Nandita Shukla, widow of former BJP leader Ghanshyam Shukla, from Mehnon in Gonda, Vikrama Yadav from Kushinagar, H.N. Patel from Sagdi in Azamgarh, Saurabh Singh from Vishwanathganj in Pratapgarh and Kaushal Singh from Nautanwa in Maharajganj.

The list named Akhilesh Yadav (not SP president) from Mubarakpur in Azamgarh, Narad Rai from Ballia, Sushma Patel from Jaunpur and Kriti Kol from Mirzapur.