Lucknow, Oct 13 (IANS): The Samajwadi Party has re-nominated Prof Ram Gopal Yadav as its candidate for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

Prof Yadav's term comes to an end next month.

One of the seniormost leaders of the party, his re-nomination was virtually certain.

The Samajwadi Party can send only one candidate to the Rajya Sabha since it has only 45 members in the state Assembly.

SP MLA Abdullah Azam was disqualified earlier this year for forging birth documents and another party MLA Parasnath Yadav passed away in June.

Prof Yadav's re-nomination to Rajya Sabha, incidentally, is also a clear indication that SP President Akhilesh Yadav is still in no mood to build bridges with his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

The hostility between cousins Prof Yadav and Shivpal Yadav has been one of the main reasons for the split in the party in 2017 in which Akhilesh Yadav took over as party President and founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was reduced to the position of a patron.