SP’s Shakir Ali accuses fellow partyman of lobbying against him

Singh denied the allegations. “It is very sad that charges are being levelled against a person who is very ill. Shakir came to meet me three or four times but did not say anything. It is very disappointing for me,” he said.

Ali said he is still awaiting a response from the SP leadership. “See,my future is now dark. Obviously I will remain MLA if I stay with the SP,there is no other way. But I cannot disappoint my supporters as they have elected me,so it is a tight situation for me,” he said.

Ali,a two-time minister,was expecting a ministerial position but did not get it at the ministry expansion last Thursday. Ali openly blamed the SP leadership for overlooking his claim at the behest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Ali had earlier defeated Surya Pratap Shahi,former state president of the BJP from Patherdeva in Deoria district.

Ali’s supporters had staged a protest and torched effigies of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Today they took to the roads again and assembled at Subhash Chowk in Deoria. They sat on dharna and raised slogans,demanding that Ali be included in the ministry.

“He is a three-time MLA and was minister twice. He deserves a ministerial berth and the leadership cannot ignore him as he is the most influential leader in Poorvanchal,” Pramod Yadav,a supporter of Ali,said.

Several other supporters,including Kamlesh Pandey,who is member of District Development Council,Banke Lal Yadav,Ramanand Yadav and Hussain Ahmed,a former president of Yuvjan Sabha,too joined the protest.