MLC nomination: Akhilesh Yadav family works out new names: a poet close to Azam, an ex-Olympian from Etawah

Other three names likely to include a retd IAS officer, an MBC candidate and a youth leader of Akhilesh’s choice

MLC nomination, CM akhilesh Yadav, Ram Naik, lucknow news

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (Source: Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

CHIEF Minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to send a list of five new names for nomination to Legislative Council after Governor Ram Naik refused to clear that of five of the nine others that the state government had sent to Raj Bhavan five months ago.

The revised list is likely to include renowned poet Nawaz Deobandi, Olympian hockey player Devesh Chauhan, retired IAS officer Ramendra Tripathi, and at least one youth leader from the ruling Samajwadi Party. Sources in the SP confirmed that party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, his cousin and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, and Akhilesh held a meeting in Lucknow to discuss and finalise the names in the revised list.

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Nawaz Deobandi, currently posted as chairman of UP State Urdu Academy, is regarded close to state minority welfare minister Azam Khan. Deobandi is likely to replace Sarfaraz Khan, another Azam loyalist, from the old list. Governor Naik had questioned the credentials of Sarfaraz, who was caught at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport allegedly carrying a weapon and had earlier been jailed also for five days after caught travelling in train allegedly impersonating as an MP. Both, Deobandi and Sarfaraz, hail from Saharanpur. As a poet, Deobandi is likely to be nominated in the category of literature.

In the category of eminent sportsperson, the CM is likely to nominate Olympian Devesh Chauhan, who has been a member of Indian Hockey team as a goalkeeper. Chauhan twice represented India in Olympics —- in 2000 (Sydney, Australia) and in 2004 (Athens, Greece). India finished in seventh place on both occasions. That he hails from ruling Yadav family’s native district Etawah, also seems to have worked in Chauhan’s favour.

Another tentative name in the list is that of retired IAS officer Ramendra Tripathi. He is considered close to SP’s top leadership and was even named party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Deoria district before being dropped later.

Akhilesh will also replace Rajpal Kashyap from the original list with another candidate from the most backward class (MBC). The Governor had refused to clear Kashyap’s name as he allegedly faces criminal cases. Kashyap had made it to the list due to his closeness to state mining minister Gayatri Prajapati.
Sources said the last name is likely to be from Akhilesh’s youth team. They, however, could not confirm the name.
Nine MLC seats had fallen vacant in May this year following which the state government had recommended an equal number of names. Governor Ram Naik had cleared four names while withholding those of five others raising objections on their eligibility. The withheld names included that of Lucknow-based builder Sanjay Seth. The Income Tax department had conducted raids at Seth’s offices in June in connection with alleged tax evasion. The others in the list were Ranvijay Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajpal Kashyap and Kamlesh Pathak.

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