With Sunita Verma, the SP’s search for a Meerut candidate is over
The Samajwadi Party (SP), a significant partner in the INDIA bloc, changed three candidates for the Meerut Lok Sabha seat, which led to internal strife within the party after misunderstanding over ticket allocation in Moradabad and Rampur.
The disputes over the ticket for the Meerut seat ended on Thursday when Sunita Verma’s name was confirmed for the position, late into the evening. Following MLA Atul Pradhan’s ticket cancellation, she has been named the party’s official contender for the position.
From this seat, Sunita Verma will face Arun Govil of the BJP. She follows Atul Pradhan and Bhanu Pratap as the third candidate the SP has declared for the Meerut seat.
Prior to this, on Wednesday, Atul Pradhan submitted a nomination on the SP’s behalf. Despite his threats to quit as an SP MLA, he chose on Thursday to follow the party’s decision when his ticket was refused despite an official declaration.
On Thursday, Sunita Verma submitted her nomination documents and the party’s Forms A and B.
About 15 years ago, Sunita Verma began her political career as a member of a district panchayat. In 2017, she was elected as the first Dalit mayor in the Municipal Corporation’s history. The BJP, which was in control of the state, lost the mayorship.
In the constituencies of Rampur and Moradabad, the SP was forced to run candidates who were imported from other parties. In Moradabad, despite providing incumbent MP ST Hasan with an official letter, the SP fielded Ruchiveera instead of him. A Muslim priest from Delhi was air-dropped on the Rampur seat, much to the dismay of the followers of the imprisoned SP leader Azam Khan.
On April 19, Moradabad and Rampur will have their first phase of voting, while Meerut will hold its second phase of voting on the same day.
Without mentioning the party, RLD President Jayant Choudhary poked fun at the regular adjustments in ticket allocation. Jayant said on social media on Thursday, “Only the fortunate ones in the Opposition get a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections, and that too, for a little period of time! And what would happen to those whose tickets were not cut?
