In a potentially controversial decision, state Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav on Monday announced the names of the nine new candidates for the next Assembly polls besides changing candidates for 17 Assembly seats.
Ironically, the axed candidates happen to be loyalists of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav.
The seven new candidates also include Aman Mani Tripathi, accused of murder of his wife Sara and the CM had himself recommended a CBI probe against him. His father don-turned-politician and four-time MlA Amar Mani Tripathi is serving a life term for murdering poetess Madhumita Shukla in 2003.
The Chief Minister, who is locked in a power struggle within the Yadav family, reacted with visible dismay on being asked about the candidature to Aman Mani Tripathi. Yadav wryly said, ``I have no information about the announcement of tickets by the party. I did not get any email informing about the ticket (to Aman Mani). You people (journalists) got the mail.”
Soon after announcement of candidates, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav convened a meeting at his residence where state SP chief Shivpal Yadav and general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav were present. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too joined the parley for a brief 15 minutes.
The list of the nine new candidates include turncoat Congress MlA Mukesh Srivastav from Payagpur (Bahraich) and is the sitting MlA from the seat. Incidentally, Srivastava is an accused in the National Rural Health Mission scam which is under investigation by the CBI.
The other candidates are Jaishanker Singh from Nanpara (Bahriach) while Mohammad Irshad from Nakur(Saharanpur). Sanjay Yadav will be fielded from Obra seat (Sonebhadra).
Those who found favours of the new state SP chief are Harish lodhi from Dibai seat (Bulandshahr), Rajeshwari from Gopamau (Hardoi), Usha Verma from Sandi seat (Hardoi). Subhash Rai from Jalalpur (Ambedkarnagar) repklces sitting SP MlA Sher Bahadur, who recently joined the BJP.
The SP also changed candidates in 17 seats and fielded Jasveer Valmiki from Rampur Manihari seat (Saharanpur) replacing Vimla Rakesh.
In Meerut, Akhilesh and Ram Gopal loyalists were replaced by those close to Shivpal Yadav. Atul Prdhan, who recently resigned after the removal of Akhilesh from the post of state SP chief, has been replaced by Mainpal Singh Rana from Sardhana seat. Sardar Parvindar Singh from Meerut Cantonment has also been axed and replaced by Arti Agarwal. Ram Gopal loyalist Rafiq Ansari, who was earlier feilded from Meerrut City has been replaced by Ayub Ansari.
Former minister Raja Aridaman Singh’s wife Pakshalikaa Singh has been made candidate from Khairagarh seat (Agra) replacing Vinod Kumar Sikarwar. At Fatehpur Sikiri (Agra) Raj Kumar Chaahar has been replaced by Sriniwas Sharma.
From Jagdishpur seat (Amethi) the SP has fielded Ajit Prasad in place of Vijay Kumar Pasi. Similarly in Sikandara (Kanpur Dehat) Seema Sachan will be the candidate replacing Mahendra Katiyar, who has joined the BSP.
In lalitpur, Chandra Bhushan Singh Bundela will be the party candidate in place of Jyoti lodhi. From Chail seat (Kaushambi) Balam Diwedi has replaced Chandri Bali Singh Patel. At Madihaan seat (Mirzapur) Surendra Singh Patel has replaced RBS Patel. At Shivpur seat (Varanasi) Avadesh Pathak will be the official candidate replacing Arvind Kumar Maurya. With the announcement of 26 candidates on Monday, the ruling SP has so far announced 163 candidates.