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Journalism of Courage
Amid speculation of Congress general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi, contesting from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat against PM Narendra Modi, the SP-BSP-RLD alliance Monday announced Shalini Yadav as its joint candidate for the constituency.
SP leader Shalini is the daughter-in-law of late Shyamlal Yadav, former Congress MP from Varanasi and Union minister. She was Congress’s mayoral candidate in Varanasi in 2017 and had secured around 1.14 lakh votes in the election she lost.
She joined the SP on Monday in the presence of its president Akhilesh Yadav.
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The SP also announced Sanjay Chauhan as its candidate from Chandauli. Chauhan is said to be a prominent leader from his community in the Lok Sabha constituency.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said this would be the first parliamentary election for Shalini and Chauhan.
“I had problems with the working and the broken promises of the Congress… They (Congress leaders) say ‘chowkidar chor hai’ but they themselves are giving ticket to bahubalis (musclemen),” Shalini said.
Congress Varanasi district president Prajanath Sharma, however, claimed that Shalini was recently removed from the party as she was involved in anti-party activities.
