Lucknow: In a surprise move, Samajwadi Party (SP) today (Nov 11) gave tickets to three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rebels for the forthcoming Legislative Council polls and claimed that more "disgruntled" legislators of the saffron party were ready to join the SP.

For 36 Vidhan Parishad seats at stake, Samajwadi Party has so far announced 23 candidates.

Bharat Tripathi, a BJP MLC and a rebel, was made SP candidate from Sitapur, while Shailendra Pratap Singh, BJP-supported independent MLC got the ruling party ticket from Sultanpur.

"At least four BJP legislators are in touch with us and have applied for SP ticket for the council elections," Shivpal Singh Yadav, State general secretary and Agriculture Minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Government told reporters in Lucknow.

The BJP also received another setback when Akshay Pratap Singh, an independent MLC supported by it filed the nomination papers from Pratapgarh as independent candidate supported by Samajwadi Party. Another BJP MLC Ajit Singh had resigned from BJP and sought SP ticket from Unnao.

The term of the council expires on January 15 and election would be held before that.

PTI