SP treads cautiously,starts selection process

For the first time in the partys history since its inception in 1992,the Samajwadi Party has initiated a well-planned system to select its candidates for the 2012 Assembly elections.

For the first time in the partys history since its inception in 1992,the Samajwadi Party (SP) has initiated a well-planned system to select its candidates for the 2012 Assembly elections.On Sunday,the SP completed the process of interviewing the aspirants. Sources said the selection committee has so far interviewed about 3,000 candidates for such Assembly seats where the party has no MLA.

In May this year,the SP had asked the party ticket aspirants to submit their applications for their selection as candidates from different constituencies.

In the first stage,the party selection committee comprising state unit president Akhilesh Yadav,leader of Opposition in the Assembly Shiv Pal Singh Yadav and state general secretary Om Prakash Singh will shortlist two or three candidates for each seat. Later,the party will finalise the names of the candidates after the party observers verify aspirants data and district presidents give their opinion about their suitability.

Party believes the new system will help it get right feedback about the changes,particularly fresh caste equations in Assembly constituencies in the wake of delimitation process. That is why aspirants were asked to reply to various questions, said a source in he party.

The SP had recently sent its observers to different Assembly constituencies to get feedback on ticket aspirants. The observers are independent source of party leadership, said Om Prakash Singh.

The new candidate selection system is also aimed to avoid the possibility of revolt among party workers. Taking a lesson from past mistakes in selection of candidates,the SP leadership is not taking any chance.

In the last Assembly elections,those who approached Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) got the party tickets easily. Now the time has changed, said a source in the party. According to him,unlike the Lok Sabha elections,there is little scope for experimentation in Assembly polls in which local issues play a major role.

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It is an open secret that the partys popularity has declined in the recent past. So we cant take our workers for granted in days to come. Transparency in selection of candidates is the only way to do justice with them, said an SP MLA.

The early move also indicates SPs resolve to give priority to young candidates. The party,like BSP,seeks details of booth-wise caste population from the aspirants. Moreover,aspirants need to deposit Rs 10,000 application fee and Rs 10,000 life-membership charge for party magazine. You need proper information to survive in todays fast changing political scene, said Om Prakash Singh.

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SP treads cautiously,starts selection process

For the first time in the partys history since its inception in 1992,the Samajwadi Party has initiated a well-planned system to select its candidates for the 2012 Assembly elections.

For the first time in the partys history since its inception in 1992,the Samajwadi Party has initiated a well-planned system to select its candidates for the 2012 Assembly elections.