Cracks have appeared in the Samajwadi Party over the selection of candidates for the two Muslim dominated Lok Sabha constituencies – Rampur and Moradabad. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and senior party leader and former MP from Rampur, Mohammad Azam Khan who is presently lodged in Sitapur district jail, are at loggerheads over the selection of candidates for both the seats.

Two SP candidates each in Rampur and Moradabad had filed their nomination papers. Wednesday was the last day for filing of papers for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections for which polling will be held on April 19.

Though Akhilesh Yadav has accepted the request of Azam Khan for denying ticket to sitting SP MP from Moradabad ST Hasan and has fielded Ruchi Veera from there, the decision has caused deep resentment among the supporters of sitting MP. ST Hasan had filed his nomination papers on Tuesday while Ruchi Veera filed her papers on Wednesday.

The SP has denied ticket to Asim Raza, a protégé of Azam Khan, from the Rampur Lok Sabha seat, once represented by Azam Khan.  The SP has given ticket to Mohibullah Nadvi from Rampur seat. Nadvi is imam of a mosque on Parliament Street in Delhi. Asim Raza had unsuccessfully contested the bypoll to Rampur Lok Sabha seat in June 2022 and Ghanshyam Lodhi of Bharatiya Janata Party had wrested this seat from the SP.

On the nomination of Ruchi Veera as Samajwadi Party candidate from Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency, ST Hasan said, “Akhilesh Yadav party ke malik hain. He can give ticket to any person. Ruchi Veera is the authorised candidate. I have no objection to this. It is the party’s decision that they can field anyone... I have always criticised the politics of hate and will continue to move forward against it... I am with the ideology of Late Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav.”

He, however, added, “The SP has denied ticket to a Muslim candidate from Moradabad when the Muslims are facing the worst time in India after Independence in 1947.”

Akhilesh Yadav had met Azam Khan in Sitapur district jail last week for consultations over the party candidates for Rampur and Moradabad. Akhilesh Yadav, after meeting Azam Khan, had confirmed that the meeting was in connection with the selection of the candidates for Lok Sabha elections.

On Tuesday night it was speculated that the SP is likely to change its candidate for the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat by fielding Ruchi Veera, replacing Hasan.

Sources in SP said Azam Khan was behind the change of candidate in Moradabad. The sources said he was angry with the candidature of sitting MP Hasan. Veera is considered a prominent member of Azam Khan’s camp.

One candidate in each of the Rampur and Moradabad Lok Sabha constituencies owes allegiance to senior party leader Azam Khan while the other has been named by SP president Akhilesh Yadav.

In Moradabad, Akhilesh Yadav had renominated ST Hasan, the sitting MP, as the party candidate and the latter even filed his nomination. Azam Khan refused to accept ST Hasan’s candidature and made his views clear to Akhilesh Yadav who visited him in jail last week. He proposed the name of Ruchi Veera for the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat.

Ruchi Veera, on Wednesday, filed her nomination papers and told reporters that she had been asked by Akhilesh Yadav to do so.

A similar situation prevails in Rampur where Akhilesh has named Maulana Mohibullah Nadwi, the imam of the Jama Masjid on Parliament Street, Delhi. On Wednesday, Asim Raza, a close aide of Azam Khan, also filed the nomination papers, saying that he was the official party candidate. The party workers in Rampur had even threatened to boycott the polls if they did not get a candidate of their choice.

Meanwhile, the SP has drafted senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav for damage control. He will meet Azam Khan in Sitapur district jail and resolve the crisis.