Akhilesh is candidate for Legislative Council

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was Thursday declared the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate for the upper house of the state assembly.

Six other leaders including SP state spokesman Rajendra Chowdhary, Madhu Gupta, Naresh Uttam, Vijay Yadav, Revenue Minister Ambika Chaudhary and Umar Khan have also been declared candidates for the Legislative Council polls.

While Rajendra Chowdhary, seen by the side of the 38-year-old chief minister at all times, has been rewarded for his loyalty, Umar Khan is the son-in-law of Imam Bukhari of the New Delhi Jama Maszid.

In the run up to the Uttar Pradesh elections, Bukhari had appealed to Muslims in the state to vote for SP.

Former UP chief minister Mayawati had also taken the same route for running the state for almost five years.

It was rumoured initially that Akhilesh would contest from Jaswantnagar, a seat held for many times by his uncle and PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.

But Shivpal Yadav refusing to vacate the seat, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav decided the legislative council seat for his chief minister son.