Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the Assembly / Vidhan Sabha elections 2012. The main political parties in the state are Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress (INC), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Rashtriya Parivartan Dal (RPD) among others. The SP is ahead of other parties in finding suitable candidates for important Assembly segments in the state. The SP has announced some names for key constituencies going for the polls in 2012.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati sweeped 2007 Assembly elections with grabbing 206 seats out of total 403 seats. Samajwadi Party won 97 seats, BJP – 21 and Congress won just 22 in the 2007 elections. Mayawati of BSP became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time without any support from other parties. UP has been known for coalition politics and the trend has been beaten in 2007 elections.
There were some speculations that BSP supremo and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati might go for early polls through dissolving Assembly, the Samajwadi Party has announced a list of 162 candidates for the ensuing 2012 State Assembly elections. SP State President Akhilesh Yadav and senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav have announced names of number of former ministers and several sitting MLAs while some new faces have also been added to the prospective list of candidates.
Prominent among the candidates are Shivpal Singh Yadav from Jaswant Nagar Constituency and daughter of former chief secretary Akhand Pratap Singh, Juhi Singh from Lucknow Constituency. Amanmani Tripahti, son of jailed MLA Amarmani Tripathi finds place in Nautanwa seat along with that of Vijay Mishra, who was chosen for Gyanpur seat. The SP may release the remaining list of candidates very soon and gear up for the campaigning.