Denied tickets, leaders quit SP

An exodus has begun from the Samajwadi Party with leaders belonging to the Mulayam faction opting for greener pastures after being denied tickets.

The latest to join the bandwagon is Rakesh Varma, son of party MP Beni Prasad Varma, who has been replaced with UP minister Arvind Singh Gope on the Ramnagar seat in Barabanki.

Mr Rakesh Varma will now be joining the BJP to contest from the same seat. Mr Beni Prasad Varma termed it as a battle between Ram and Ravan and said he would take the support of Ram to defeat Ravan.

Another sitting MLA Vijay Misra resigned from the party on Monday and has threatened to expose the SP leaders. He will contest as an Independent.

Former MP ShafiqurRehman Warq has also quit SP and joined the All India Muslim Ittehadul Muslimeen 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 the party and by the time the new leaders realise their mistake, it will be too late,” said Ms Chaudhary.

National SP chief and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has also held back tickets to sacked ministers Shadab Fatima and Narad Rai and both are expected to join the BSP soon.

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.

“Mr Akhilesh Yadav has left no choice for us. It is allowing personal vendetta to guide his decisions. We have been with the Samajwadi Party since its inception and now we are being targeted because we are loyal to Mr Mulayam Yadav,” said one of the disgruntled legislators.

Sources said, about 50 members from Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s list met the him after they were denied tickets by the Mr Akhilesh.