Lucknow: Taking the 'power struggle' with the Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav further, the newly appointed state Samajwadi Party President Shivpal Yadav, in a sudden move, changed names of 17 party candidates for the coming assembly election who were selected by his predecessor, Akhilesh Yadav.
In another announcement, Shivpal also declared names nine party candidates which included a murder accused Amanmani Tripathi, son of incarcerated parents Amarmani Tripathi and Madhu Tripathi also charged with murder.
The development is bound to invite fresh round of animosity within the ruling party as this was the first announcement of tickets for the coming UP assembly polls by Shivpal Yadabv taking reins of the party in the state from Akhilesh Yadav at the insistence of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. It assumes more significance in view of the public statement of the UP CM in the wake of recent 'infighting ' in the party and the family that he wanted to have his say in the ticket distribution.
The nine assembly seats for which the names of new candidates have been announced are Nakud, Naanpara, Prayagpur, Nautanwa, Obra, Dibai, Gopamau(res) , Saandi and Jalalapur .
The seventeen seats where the candidates were changed included Rampur Manihar(res), Thana Bhawan, Meerapur, Najibabad, Sardhana, Meerut Cantt, Meerut Shahr, Khurja(res), Hathras (res), fatehpur Seekri, Khiaragarh, Jagdishpur (res), Sikandara, lalitpur, Chail, Madihaanand Shivpur.
Meanwhile, the senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav has rushed from New Delhi to Lucknow to attend an important party meeting on Monday afternoon.
You may also read: UP CM Akhilesh gets the truly world-class building for his office