Earlier in the day, the party’s parliamentary board had met at Mulayam’s Lucknow residence to finalise the names of the probable candidates for the Rajya Sabha and UP legislative council (Vidhan Parishad).
According to sources, two senior party leaders including Cabinet minister Azam Khan and SP general secretary and Mulayam’s cousin Ram Gopal Yadav were opposed to Amar’s candidature. However, Mulayam Singh decided in favour of Amar Singh.
His candidature was announced by Cabinet minister and Mulayam’s younger brother Shivpal Singh at a hurriedly convened press conference here on Tuesday evening.
The other prominent name announced for the Rajya Sabha is former Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma, who had recently deserted Congress to return to his parent party fold.
The other five Rajya Sabha candidates announced by the party are Sanjay Seth, Sukhram Singh Yadav, Reoti Raman Singh, Vishambhar Prasad Nishad and Arvind Pratap Singh.
Seth is a promoter of a Lucknow-based growing real estate company, Shalimar Group. Earlier, the party had decided to send him to Vidhan Parishad. However, UP Governor Ram Naik refused to clear his name and raised objections to his candidature following complaints received at the Raj Bhawan.
Meanwhile, the party also announced the candidature of eight candidates for the legislative council - Balram Yadav, Satrudra Prakash, Jaswant Singh, Bukkal Nawab, Ram Sundar Das Nishad, Jagjivan Prasad, Kamlesh Pathak and Ranvijay Singh.
Next month, elections would be held for 11 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from UP. Given its strength of legislators in the UP legislative Assembly, SP can elect up to seven candidates on its own.