Jaya Bachchan is Samajwadi Party candidate for Rajya Sabha

 Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 8

The Samajwadi Party has decided to give Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Jaya Bachchan a fourth term in the Upper House confirmed party spokesperson Rajendra Chadhury.

Chaudhary said Jaya Bachchan was likely to file her nomination in Lucknow on Friday.

Party insiders say that the move to re-nominate active and articulate MP Jaya Bachchan in preference to strong contenders like Samajwadi party national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda and senior leader Naresh Agarwal indicates national president Akhilesh Yadav killing several birds with one stone.

Jaya Bachchans animosity with Akhilesh Yadavs beta noir Amar Singh is well known.

This also saves Yadav from causing heartburn by choosing between the other two claimants to the solitary seat SP can safely win.

Jaya Bachchan was first nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2004 then 2006 and 2012 and is now set to be re-elected in 2018.

The other retiring SP MPs whose terms are coming to an end on April 2, 2018 are Chaudhury Munawwar Salim, Darshan Singh Yadav and Alok Tiwari.