Ex-LU student leader among SP’s candidates

Former students’ union president of Lucknow University Arvind Kumar Singh and a party leader from Madhya Pradesh,Munawwar Saleem,are the surprise nominees among the six Rajya Sabha candidates whom the Samajwadi Party is learnt to have finalised today.

Others on the list include party-hopper Naresh Agarwal,who deserted the BSP before the elections. Another candidate is Kiranmoy Nanda,a former West Bengal minister and SP national general secretary. Nanda,who is considered close to Mulayam,has been camping in Lucknow ever since the poll results were announced. Brijbhushan Tiwari,an SP veteran,is also on the list. Belonging to Siddharth Nagar,he has been a member of the LS thrice and the RS once.

Darshan Singh Yadav,a foe-turned-friend of Mulayam,has also been named.

The most surprising name,however,is that of Munawwar Saleem about whom even party office-bearers know little. Saleem is in-charge of the SP’s Madhya Pradesh unit. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Vidisha against BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj.