Congress to finalise candidates for Lok Sabha seats in UP by August

According to Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, the party will declare its candidates for half of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in July.

The Congress had earlier appointed a member of the Uttar Pradesh Coordination Committee and deputed an MLA each to make a list of potential candidates in each of the constituencies. They gave their feedback and recommendations to AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, as well as Joshi.

Based on their feedback, the party shortlisted candidates for 35 to 40 seats.

Meanwhile, accusing the Uttar Pradesh Government of randomly acquiring farmland for its ambitious Taj and Ganga expressways, Joshi on Tuesday called for a Central agency’s probe into “property acquired by Chief Minister Mayawati and her relatives in the past one year”. She also declared the party’s plan to launch an agitation against the acquisition of farmers’ land by different state Government departments at paltry sums.