Lucknow, India : The stage is set for a high-voltage contest in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh MLC elections, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress going head-to-head. Following SP’s announcement on Thursday, Congress on Friday unveiled its list of five candidates for the Graduate and Teacher constituencies. Congress state president Ajay Rai confirmed that the party will field candidates for all 11 MLC seats in the state. The elections are likely to be held in February, with voter list revision already underway.
Congress has nominated Vikrant Vashisth for the Meerut-Saharanpur Graduate seat, Raghuraj Singh Pal for the Agra Graduate seat, Dr. Devmani Tiwari for the Lucknow Graduate seat, Sanjay Priyadarshi for the Varanasi Teacher seat, and Arvind Singh Patel for the Varanasi Graduate seat.
Ajay Rai emphasized that Congress aims to amplify the voices of youth and teachers in the legislative council. A Connect Centre has been set up at the state Congress office in Lucknow, supported by district-level coordinators and committees, with all party fronts and organizations involved. Special responsibilities have been assigned to the law, teacher, and medical cells for the elections.
Rai criticized the ruling BJP government, stating that unemployment is rising and new recruitment is scarce. Examination leaks, delayed appointments, and the absence of service security for teachers have created distress among educators. He highlighted that aided college teachers have been deprived of old pension schemes, and vacant teaching posts remain unfilled. The Education Service Selection Commission, formed to address these issues, has been ineffective, with repeated delays in examinations and resignations at the top.
The announcement sets the tone for an intense electoral battle as SP and Congress prepare to mobilize support across key graduate and teacher constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
