SAMAJWADI PARTY’S Uttar Pradesh unit president Shivpal Yadav on Monday announced nine new candidates, including murder accused Amanmani Tripathi who is facing a CBI probe, and replaced 17 names announced earlier for next year’s Assembly elections. WATCH VIDEO: Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan Lists Why He Is Fit To Become Prime Minister Among those who have been replaced is an SP youth leader considered close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Asked about the new list, Akhilesh said he was “not aware” of it. The party also announced the candidature of Mukesh Srivastava, a Congress MLA who joined the SP last month, from Payagpur seat in Bahraich. Srivastava is accused in one of the cases related to the multi-crore NRHM scam. Avoiding a direct reply on the decision to replace Atul Pradhan, the former president of SP students’ wing Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, Akhilesh said the polls are still far away and candidates may get changed in the interim. “No one knows what happens in politics,” he said on the sidelines of a function here. To another question, Akhilesh, who was fighting a turf war with uncle Shivpal until recently, said, “I can be either truthful or political. I cannot change some of my habits.” Watch what else in making news: About the candidature of Amanmani, son of Amarmani Tripathi (convicted of murdering poet Madhumita Shukla) and himself charged with murdering his wife, Akhilesh, indicating that all is not well in the SP despite a public rapprochement between him and Shivpal, said, “It is an internal party matter. But everyone is aware of my opinion on such matters.” Reminded of his earlier statement that he would have a say in selection of candidates, the Chief Minister responded: “Maine sab adhikar tyag diye hain. Yeh janata ko tay karna hai” (I have abdicated all rights. Now the public has to be take decisions).” Atul Pradhan was replaced by Mainpal Singh from Sardhana constituency in Meerut. Pradhan had lost from Sardhana in 2012. Shivpal also replaced 16 other names from the list of 142 candidates announced in March, when Akhilesh was party’s state unit president. Ramgopal Yadav later met Mulayam and said it is the right of the party’s state president to announce candidates. He said there is no rift in the party over distribution of tickets.
