SP caught in the web of changing candidates

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) is now caught in the web of its own making.

The party been changing candidates with an alarming frequency and paving the way for internal sabotage and dissent in the ranks.

On some seats, candidates have been changed more than once.

In Moradabad, sitting MP S T Hasan's name was declared in the first SP list and he filed his nomination papers too.

However, reportedly on Mohd Azam Khan's insistence, his ticket was changed and Ruchi Veera was asked to file her nomination instead.

A visibly distraught S T Hasan says, "I am with SP but I will not campaign in Moradabad. What do I tell my supporters? The party belong to a group of people and they can take any decision they want to."

In Rampur, SP chief Akhilesh asked Muhibullah Nadvi to file nomination while Azam Khan asked his close aide Asim Raza to do the same.

The situation remained unresolved till the party gave the official status to Nadvi, leaving Asim Khan sulking.

In Budaun, the SP initially cleared the candidature of Dharmendra Yadav in January and then replaced him with Shivpal Yadav a month later.

Though Dharmendra was shifted to Azamgarh, his supporters term the decision as "injustice".

"Dharmendra Yadav had won the Budaun seat twice in 2009 and then 2014. Yet he faced the humiliation of being asked to shift to another seat," said a local party worker.

Then in Misrikh Lok Sabha constituency, Rampal Rajvanshi was named candidate. Twenty days later, his ticket was cancelled and his son Manoj Rajvanshi was named candidate, a fortnight later, Manoj was replaced with his wife Sangita Rajvanshi.

In Bijnor, Yashvir Singh was the first choice and his name was announced. A few days later, his name was withdrawn and Deepak Saini became the SP candidate.

In Noida, Mahendra Nagar and Rahul Aswana have been playing musical chairs of sorts. The first candidate was Mahendra Nagar who was then replaced with Rahul Awana. A week later Rahul Awana was again replaced by Mahendra Nagar.

"We do not know who will eventually be the candidate by the time polling is held," said a local party leader.

In Meerut, Bhanu Pratap Singh is the party candidate but a change in the constituency is almost certain and more than half a dozen aspirants are already camping in Lucknow.

Senior party leaders admit that indecision during elections could prove detrimental to party interests.

However, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said that a "few changes" will not impact the party's prospects. "Often, the views of party workers have to be respected too," he said.