Rampur: Amid the ongoing tussle within the Samajwadi Party over the Lok Sabha ticket distribution in Rampur constituency, the Election Commission rejected the nomination papers of Asim Raza, close aide of jailed SP leader Azam Khan.
The SP has been left embarrassed after two SP candidates filed their nominations from Rampur seat.
On behalf of Azam Khan, his close aide and metropolitan president of Rampur district unit Asim Raza had filed the nomination. On the other hand, at the behest of Akhilesh Yadav, Imam of Jama Masjid, Parliament Street, Delhi, Maulana Muhibullah Nadvi too filled the nomination papers.
In the ongoing feud in SP since Tuesday night, Azam Khan's faction got a blow on Thursday when the nomination papers of his close aide Asim Raza were rejected by the Election Commission. The basis for rejecting the nomination form was the deficiency of Form A, B and Form 2 along with it.
A few days ago, Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, Maulana Muhibullah Nadvi had met Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow. It is believed that by then his ticket had been finalized and he was asked to go to Rampur to file his nomination.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had met Azam Khan in Sitapur jail. According to sources, in Sitapur jail, Azam Khan had asked Akhilesh Yadav to contest elections from Rampur himself. But, Akhilesh had refused to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
It is learnt that Azam Khan had asked his close aide to file nomination on his behalf.
Sources said that Maulana Muhibullah Nadvi, has filled Form A, B and Form 2 with his nomination, on the basis of which he is being considered as the authorized candidate of the party.
Meanwhile the SP faces an infighting on the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat as well. Ticket hopeful Samajwadi party leader ST Hasan said, "When the party has decided to field another candidate and the party's president has also sent me the letter then it was obvious that I won't be getting the symbol. I will not be campaigning in Moradabad for the party's candidate, it will be very disheartening for those who supported and prayed for me”.
“Akhilesh Yadav has definitely sent me the letter, but when I tried to meet him, an 'outsider' MLA from the party captured his (Akhilesh Yadav) team so that I don't get to meet him," Hasan said.
