To quell the rising rebellion over distribution of tickets for the chairman’s post of district panchayat polls, the Samajwadi Party on Monday suspended an MlA from Bijnor, while expelling six others, including a former MP and chairman of Nagina Nagar Palika in Bijnor.
Succumbing to dissident pressure, the party also changed the candidate in lucknow and the candidature of the sitting chairperson
Maya Yadav was restored. Earlier, Rita Yadav was projected as its candidate.
In Kushinagar, in-charge of Fazil Nagar Assembly seat Vijay Yadav and his aide Shivnath Yadav were expelled. The party issued show-cause notice to former chairman of Kushinagar, Pradeep Kumar Jaisawal as to why he should not be expelled for indulging in anti-party activities.
On Friday last, the SP had expelled three youth leaders Sunil Yadav, Subodh Yadav and Anand Bhaduria — all
confidantes of CM Akhilesh Yadav — for opposing the official candidate in their respective districts.
The SP took the most drastic action in Bijnor where it suspended party MlA Ruchi Veera. Those expelled in the district include the MlA’s husband and claimant for district panchayat chairman’s post Udyan Veera. The SP has fielded party MlA Manoj Paras’ wife in Bijnor. Former MP of Bijnor, Yashvir Singh, chairman of Nagina Nagar Palika Sheikh Khalilur Rahman and former district SP chief Jamil Ansari were also expelled.
Bijnor is a general seat while the SP has fielded a candidate from the Schedule Caste. The party leaders opposed the candidate and demanded ticket for the local MlA’s spouse, Udyan Veera, who is from the Vaishya community.
“What is the wisdom of fielding a dalit at Bijnor which is a general seatIJ Adjoining districts like Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, Badaun, Rampur and Sambhal are reserved for SC. Do the upper castes have no place in the SPIJ Will fielding a dalit from Bijnor make the dalits switch their allegiance from BSP to SPIJ” questioned suspended MlA Ruchi Veera.
Opposing the ticket to the wife of former Minister Manoj Paras, the SP MlA said, “Paras is charged of heinous crimes like rape which had led to his dismissal from the Council of Ministers. Him being elevated as a Cabinet Minister does not make a difference, but ticket should be given to a general candidate in Bijnor.’’