Uttar Pradesh: The Congress partnership and ticket for “outsiders” are causing rifts in the SP

The party’s grassroots has not taken kindly to Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to provide party nominations to three “outsiders” on the fifth and most recent list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Many aspirant Samajwadi Party leaders from the seats of Bhadohi, Meerut, and Nagina in western Uttar Pradesh are dissatisfied.

Discontent has been stoked by the party nominations who were announced on Friday for the third round of candidate selection, particularly in a few western UP constituencies. The Trinamool Congress, an ally of India, was given the Bhadohi seat, however the party gave preference to Advocate Bhanu Pratap Singh from the Meerut constituency and retired Additional District Judge (Bijnor) Manoj Kumar from Nagina in the Bijnor district.

According to party sources, Atul Pradhan, the current MLA for Sardhana in the Meerut district, ran for the Meerut ticket. If he was not chosen by the party, he was prepared to run with his wife. Since 2014, the BJP has been winning in Meerut, and Rajendra Agarwal has served as the MP twice. In both 2014 and 2019, the BSP came in second place.

Pradhan scribbled on X after the list, saying, “The people of Meerut prayed for me.” I apologize for not giving you an opportunity.

There has also been significant animosity towards the party’s nominee for the Nagina Lok Sabha seat, Manoj Kumar. Manoj Kumar is a relatively new member of the SP. It was rumored that the SP will give Azad Samaj Party leader Chandra Shekhar Azad “Ravan” the Nagina constituency, which is a reserved seat. Manoj Kumar Paras, the current party MLA, was also requesting a ticket for his wife Neelam from the seat. In 2019, Girish Chandra ran jointly for Nagina as the BSP and SP.

Sangeeta, a BSP MP, joins BJP

In front of numerous top BJP figures, BSP MP Sangeeta Azad, who sits in the outgoing Lok Sabha and represents Uttar Pradesh’s Lalganj constituency, joined the party on Monday. The state BJP president Bhupendra Singh, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, and national general secretary Vinod Tawde admitted the Dalit politician into the party. Tawde promised that Azad will have enough chance to contribute on behalf of the BJP.