Four Samajwadi Party candidates, including Swami Prasad Maurya, on Wednesday filed their nominations here for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, MLA Abdullah Azam and other party leaders were present when the party candidates filed their nominations.

Besides Maurya, Jasmir Ansari; Mukul Yadav, son of former MLA Sobaran Singh Yadav, who vacated his Karhal seat for Akhilesh Yadav in the Assembly polls; and Shahnawaz Khan filed their nominations.

After filing his nomination papers, Maurya took to Twitter to thank Akhilesh Yadav for choosing him as a candidate. Maurya, who switched to the SP from the BJP, had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from the Fazilnagar seat earlier this year.

Earlier, speculation was rife that Imran Masood, who joined the SP after leaving the Congress just before polls, and Arvind Rajbhar, son of Suheldev Samaj Party chief O P Rajbhar, will also be considered for the Legislative Council elections.

According to the information received from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, the process of elections for 13 seats of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council has started.

The last date for filing nominations is June 9 and that for withdrawal of nomination is June 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on June 10. If needed, voting will be held on June 20 between 9 am and 4 pm. Results will be declared the same day.

(With PTI inputs)