Jan Morcha merges with Congress

Singh said the merger has been approved by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. He added that the workers of Jan Morcha will formally merge with the Congress on July 25 in Lucknow. A meeting of the UPCC has also been organised to felicitate Congress MPs from the state.

Jan Morcha was earlier a part of the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP. As the SP contested the Fatehpur seat after it formed the Fourth Front along with the RJD and LJP,Morcha president Ajay Singh contested the seat and lost the Lok Sabha polls. Fatehpur was the traditional seat of V P Singh,who broke away from the Congress in the 1980s and formed Jan Morcha.

Cong names three bypoll candidates
The Congress announced its candidate for three of the four Assembly by-elections scheduled for August 18. While former SP legislator Saulat Ali has been given the ticket for Moradabad (West),another former SP legislator,Satnarayan Kanaujia,has been chosen for Malihabad. Little is known about the background of Sanjay Singh,who has been given the party ticket for Bidhuna in Etawah. The party is yet to announce the candidate for Morna.

(with PTI inputs)