Ahead of UP polls BJP MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi's son Mayank is likely to join SP after being denied a ticket from the Lucknow seat. According to Republic TV, MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi's son Mayank is going to join SP in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. In the 2017 Assembly polls, Rita Bahuguna Joshi had defeated Aparna Yadav, who was from SP at that time.
Earlier today UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya took a swipe at Congress for not fielding candidates against SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. He took his Twitter and wrote in Hindi "Which one is this! Yadav family does not give candidates against Gandhi family. Gandhi family does not give candidates against Yadav family! Congress has withdrawn candidates against Mr. Akhilesh Yadav and Mr. Shivpal Yadav. You are throwing dust in the eyes of the public, that's why the lotus flower is blooming!"
Supporting SP in the elections Congress did not field any of its candidates from Karhal where SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is going to contest. Even though the SP-Congress alliance didn't last after the 2017 election, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her recent press conference said that her party is open for any alliance except BJP. Congress District President Malkhan Singh, Etawah on Wednesday said "There were 6 applications from Congress Party for Jaswant Nagar seat but the party high command decided not to field any candidate from this constituency. All workers stand by the decision of high command."
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India announced the voting dates for the Assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh. The UP will hold elections in 7 phases to elect 403 members of the Legislative Assembly in the state. The seven-phase election in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7.