Sidelined,Rashid Masood may quit SP

SP sources confirmed Masood had met SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav in New Delhi last week and discussed his problems in the party. 8220;He is angry with the SP leadership for selecting one Sarfaraj Khan as the party candidate from the Saharanpur rural Assembly seat,8221; a source in the SP said.

Sarfaraj is close to Azam Khan whose return to the SP has resulted in sudden reduction of Masoods clout in the party.

When contacted,Masood confirmed his latest meeting with Mulayam Singh in New Delhi but refused to divulge details. 8220;There are certain issues I discussed with Mulayam. I won8217;t tell you those issues,8221; he told The Indian Express.

Masood,however,admitted he is unhappy with the manner in which the SP has selected candidates for different Assembly seats in Western UP.

Dhampur is one Assembly seat in Bijnore where Muslim voters are in considerable numbers. Yet my party has selected one Moolchand as its candidate, he said.

According to him,the Samajwadi Party does not not care for its political interest that can enable it to form the next government in the state.