Social activist Nafisa Ali will be the Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow. With this, she will replace Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt who was earlier fielded as the SP candidate from the seat. A few days back Supreme Court rejected Dutt's plea to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, by refusing to stay his conviction in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. Lucknow goes to the polls in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 30.

 

The surprise announcement was made by newly appointed SP's national general secretary, Dutt in Lucknow on Sunday (5th April) in the presence of senior Samajwadi leader Amar Singh. Ali's candidature was finalized on Saturday (4th April). Her name was suggested to Mr. Dutt by his wife Manyata. Considered close to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Ms. Ali was the chairman of the Children’s Film Society of India with the status of Minister of State.  She has left the Congress to take up her new assignment.

 

Dutt added that he would actively campaign for Ms. Ali as Lucknow was his seat. Earlier, before getting the Samajwadi nomination, Ms. Ali was said to have been approached by the Congress to contest from Lucknow. Ms. Ali said she would fight against communal agenda. She also suggested the Congress that it would be in the interest of the party not to field a candidate against her.