Uttar Pradesh polls: Samajwadi Party family feud leaves MLAs worried

Lucknow: With Samajwadi Party sources confirming that over 50 sitting party legislators may not get ticket  for the upcoming Assembly elections, there is a growing sense of restlessness within the party.

State SP President Shivpal Singh Yadav has been announcing lists of candidates even though there has been no formal meeting of the party’s parliamentary board. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has also been maintaining a studied silence over the naming of candidates and this has made his supporters restive.

Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, who had earlier said that his word would be the final for choice of candidates, has also chosen not to react to recent developments.

“If our leader (read Akhilesh Yadav) does not intervene, we are sure to lose our tickets because we are not in the good books of other leaders. The Chief Minister had said that he should have a say in finalising candidates. But now he is quiet. We are in a quandary,” said a young MLA, known to be close to the chief minister. The situation is becoming increasingly piquant for ministers like Tej Narain Pandey.

Pandey was expelled last month from the party by Shivpal Yadav for alleged anti-party activities after SP MLC Ashu Malik accused him of beating him up. However, Akhilesh Yadav did not remove Pandey from the council of minister. But his fate now hangs in balance as far as getting a ticket is concerned.
Another case is that of Raj Kishore Singh, who was sacked from the council of ministers by the Chief Minister in June.

Shivpal Yadav has announced a ticket for Raj Kishore’s brother Dimple but the name of Raj Kishore still does not figure in the SP list. Tickets are now being constantly reshuffled which is adding to the prevailing uncertainty.

The state President has changed candidates for Thana Bhawan and Jagdishpur seats in the past two days and more changes are in the offing. Meanwhile, Shivpal Yadav said on Thursday that winnability was a major criterion in selection of candidates and the decision of party president Mulayam Singh Yadav would be final.

Sources said that the party had held independent surveys in every constituency and it was on the basis of the reports that candidates were being finalised.

Meanwhile, contradicting the statement of UP Chief Minister, state party President said that he did not have information about the initiation of talks of an alliance with the Congress.

Talking to reporters in Ballia, Mr Shivpal Yadav said, “I do not have information about any initiative of talks with Congress for an alliance”. The Chief Minister has said more than once that an alliance with the Congress would help him win 300 seats in the ensuing Assembly polls.