Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav averted a potential family crisis on Monday when he finally announced a ticket for Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. The party released its fourth list, comprising 37 candidates, for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
But an exodus also began from the party with leaders belonging to the Mulayam faction opting for greener pastures after being denied tickets.
There was uncertainty about Aparna Yadav’s ticket since Lucknow Cantt, from which she had been declared a candidate by Mulayam Singh Yadav, is held by the Congress with which the Samajwadi Party announced a poll pact Sunday.
Congress’ Lucknow Cantt MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who recently joined the BJP, will contest from the same seat.
The chief minister had not uttered a word on Aparna Yadav’s seat, and sources said that he would not pressure the Congress to give up its claim on the seat. However, it is learnt that on Mulayam Singh Yadav’s insistence, the SP leadership managed to convince the Congress to leave the Lucknow Cantt seat for Aparna Yadav, wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s second son, Prateek Yadav.
In other names announced, Rakesh Varma, son of SP MP Beni Prasad Varma, has been replaced with UP minister Arvind Singh Gope as the candidate from Ramnagar seat in Barabanki.
Rakesh Varma will now be joining the BJP to contest from the same seat. Beni Prasad Varma termed it a battle between “Ram and Ravana”, and said he would take the support of “Ram to defeat Ravana.”
Vijay Misra, another sitting MLA, resigned from the SP on Monday, and threatened to “expose” party leaders. He will contest as an independent.
Former MP Shafiqur-Rehman Warq has also quit the SP and joined the AIMIM after his grandson Ziaur Rahman Barq was denied a ticket form Sambhal.
Two days ago, former minister Ambica Chaudhary had joined the BSP, and three other MLAs — Rampal Yadav, Ashish Yadav and Ramvir Singh — also quit the SP to join the Lok Dal.
“If seniors are treated shabbily by the new leadership, people will obviously move out of Samajwadi Party, and by the time the new leaders realise their mistakes, it will be too late”, said Ambica Chaudhary.
Akhilesh Yadav has also held back tickets to sacked ministers Shadab Fatima and Narad Rai, and both are expected to join the BSP in a day or two.
Two other SP MLAs — Guddu Sharma and Mukesh Sharma — have joined the RLD after being denied tickets, while SP MLA Kuldeep Sengar has already managed a ticket for himself from the BJP.
“Akhilesh Yadav has left no choice for us. He is allowing personal vendetta to guide his decisions. We have been with Samajwadi Party since its inception, and now we are being targeted because we are loyal to Mulayam Singh Yadav”, said one of the disgruntled legislators.
According to sources, in the past two days, about 50 members from Mulayam Singh Yadav’s list met him after they were denied tickets by the CM. Mulayam Singh Yadav expressed his helplessness on the issue, and is said to be upset at the fact that “seniors are being driven out of the party because they are loyal to me”.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party will now cancel the tickets of about 42 candidates after the alliance with the Congress. The SP will contest 298 seats, of the 403, under the arrangement.
UP’s SP president Naresh Uttam said on Monday that a fresh list would now be issued in view of the seat adjustment with the Congress.
Sources said that those whose tickets were being cancelled would contest as rebel candidates or join another party.
