BJP, SP pick candidates for MLC Graduates’, Teachers’ seats; caste equations in focus

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The election for all 11 seats will be held on October 23. | Photo Credit: AFP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced six candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council election to Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies, fielding three Brahmins among them. 

The BJP has fielded Kedar Nath Singh from the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency and Dr. Pramod Mishra from the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency. Hari Kishore Tiwari has been fielded from Agra and Dhruv Tripathi from Gorakhpur-Faizabad. The party has nominated Ashok Kumar Rathore from Prayagraj-Jhansi and Dinesh Goel, who belongs to the Vaishya community, from Meerut. 

The Samajwadi Party (SP), which already announced candidates on Monday for all 11 seats going to the poll on October 23, has largely followed its Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) formula in its selections. 

The SP has fielded Yadav candidates from Varanasi, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Agra, besides Danish Akhtar from Moradabad and Parminder Bhati from Meerut. 

The choice of candidates is being seen in the context of the caste combinations the two parties are seeking to build ahead of the Assembly election. 

The electorate in the Legislative Council poll is limited to graduates and members of the teaching community. The election is being held amid discontent among teachers and students over recruitment, school mergers, salaries and employment security. 

Teachers’ constituencies have historically been dominated by independent professional bodies and non-political teachers’ unions. Over the past few decades, however, major political parties have increasingly backed particular union factions or fielded their own candidates to strengthen their presence in the Upper House. 

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