In the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections, the Samajwadi Party is expected to announce its first batch of six candidates for Uttar Pradesh today.

In addition to Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP will also field family members of Mulayam Singh Yadav like nephew Dharmendra Yadav from Badaun and his brother and senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav's son Akshay Yadav from Firozabad.

Samajwadi Party's decision to release its first list comes after the Congress released its first list for Lok Sabha polls on Thursday that included contenders for 11 seats in UP, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from their respective constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi.

The first list of six candidates of the Samajwadi Party also includes Kamlesh Katheria from Etahwah, Shabbir Valmiki from Behraich and Bhai Lal from Robertsganj.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav in multiple interviews repeatedly stressed that opposition unity was in tact and that the Congress continued to be part of their (SP-BSP) alliance with an allotment of two seats.

However, this statement seemed contrary to Congress' designs in Uttar Pradesh after the party released its first list of Lok Sabha candidates on Thursday that included 11 contenders from UP alone.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)