New Delhi, Nov. 9 (PTI): Salman Khurshid today failed to get a nomination for a Rajya Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have decided to contest together.

Khurshid, a former president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, had been lobbying for the ticket that went to the Samajwadi’s Mohammad Abid Khan. Khan is a former Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union president.

Elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats are due in the state.

“I am more of a Lok Sabha man. I will be happy to fight the general elections whenever they are held,” Khurshid said in Chandigarh, putting up a brave front.

“Mohammad Abid Khan, a neutral candidate, will fight the polls as an Independent backed both by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party,” he added.

A senior state Congress leader said Khurshid missed out because the Samajwadis did not want him. He is a known detractor of Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and general secretary Amar Singh.

The Samajwadi’s Abu Asim Azmi was also in the race.

“It was decided to field a Muslim candidate for the seat.... While the Samajwadi Party was not ready for Khurshid, we were against Azmi. This helped Khan to get the nomination,” the Congress leader said.

Monday is the last date for filing nominations.

Mulayam and Amar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here last evening to “evolve a strategy” to contest the seat jointly.

Amar told reporters after the meeting that “the aim is to keep the saffron brigade out and keep the seat with secular forces”.