The unease within the ruling Yadav clan in Uttar Pradesh came to the fore once again on Monday as the Samajwadi Party (SP) replaced as many as 14 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party also declared seven new candidates.
Though this could have been explained away as a routine exercise before the polls, it acquired significance after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is chairman of the party’s State parliamentary board, claimed that he knew nothing about the changes.
Mr. Yadav was recently replaced as the State president by his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who is also a cabinet minister. The two have been engaged in a power struggle.
The changes were announced by the Mr. Shivpal Yadav, who said the decision was taken on the “orders” of his brother and the SP chief Mulayam Singh. The development came amid reports that the CM, who has preferred to live in the same bungalow as his father, might shift to his new bungalow before his tenure expires. Every former chief minister in U.P. is allotted a bungalow and Mr. Akhilesh Yadav’s chosen house has been under construction. The CM uses his official bungalow on Kalidas Marg only for office work.
Some of the replaced candidates were considered close to Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, or were his picks. For instance, Atul Pradhan, who was chosen from Sardhana in Meerut, where he stood third in the last elections, was replaced by Mainpal Singh.
The limelight, however, was caught by the announcement of Amanmani Tripathi as the candidate from Nautanwa in Maharajganj in eastern U.P. He is the son of former U.P. minister, Amarmani Tripathi, who, along with his wife Madhumani, is serving a life-term for the murder of poetess Madhumitha Shukla, with whom he allegedly had an affair. Mr. Amanmani himself faces a CBI probe for allegedly scripting the murder of his law graduate wife Sara in 2015. He has also faced cases of kidnapping and extortion. His candidature is yet another snub to Akhilesh Yadav, who has tried to project himself as a leader battling corruption and criminalisation of politics. Significantly, it was Mr. Akhilesh Yadav who had pressed for a CBI probe into the the Amanmani Tripathi case. Mr. Amanmani Tripathi had contested from Nautanwa in 2012.
‘Game of cards’ Responding to media after the inauguration of his new office in Lucknow, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav said he had “no information” about the list released by the party.
When asked further on whether he did not have any say in the distribution of tickets, he preferred a diplomatic answer.
