In UP, SP faces rebellion over candidates in urban local body polls; five-time MP Barq leads charge

At a public meeting on Saturday, Barq even went on to say that it doesn’t matter to him if he is expelled from the party.

“Along with Mulayam Singh Yadav, I formed this Samajwadi (Party). No one else can claim it. The others joined the party later… I am not scared of the party (leadership). They can remove me and it won’t matter to me,” Barq, known for speaking his mind, said.

The SP has fielded local MLA Iqbal Mehmood’s wife Ruksana Mehmood for Sambhal Municipal Council chairperson.

People close to Barq said the party leadership did not consult him before choosing the candidates in his constituency, and this irked the SP MP.

The four-time MLA and five-time MP, Barq is known to have a good sway in the district. “Barq saheb had told (SP president) Akhilesh Yadav ji that he and his MLA grandson Zia-ur-Rahman Barq should be consulted before giving tickets for Sambhal local body polls. But the party high command didn’t consult him, which annoyed him. He is a very senior leader, and should have been consulted,” said an SP leader in Sambhal.

When asked about Barq backing the Independent nominee, SP national spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary told The Indian Express that “things will be ironed out.” “These are local elections. These things can happen because there are multiple people seeking tickets. Barq saheb is our committed leader and any issues will be ironed out with him,” Choudhary said.

Far across in Ballia district, the SP’s house is not in order. The SP expelled senior leader Sanjay Upadhyay for six years after he announced to contest against the party’s official candidate, Laxman Gupta, for the post of chairperson of Ballia Municipal Council.

Upadhyay was expelled along with party’s former district unit vice-president Jamal Alam, former district secretary Adarsh Mishra and another leader Ajay Yadav.

In Sikandarpur in Ballia district, SP MLA Mohammad Ziauddin Rizvi has also announced to back an Independent candidate against the party’s nominee for the post of the chairman of Sikandarpur Nagar Panchayat. While SP has fielded Dinesh Chowdhary for the post, Rizvi has announced his support for Bhishma Yadav.

Speaking with reporters on Monday evening, MLA Rizvi said, “It was decided in the meeting of party workers that Bhishma Yadav would contest for the post of Sikandarpur Nagar Panchayat chairman. The selection committee formed at the district level approved the name of Bhishma Yadav and we were sure that he would be declared as the candidate.”

“Some people have misled SP national president Akhilesh Yadav,” the MLA alleged. However, SP district unit president Raj Mangal Yadav dismissed Rizvi’s allegations.

“The charges are baseless. Ticket distribution has been done with the consent of national president Akhilesh Yadav and state president Naresh Uttam. It is the duty of all SP workers and leaders to make the party candidates win… If someone does not follow this, it will be considered indiscipline… Rizvi is making baseless statements in a confused state of mind,” he added.

In neighbouring Mau, long-term SP loyalist and former chairperson of Mau Nagar Palika, Arshad Jamaal, joined the BSP after being denied the ticket.

Jamaal (62) said that at least 13 SP corporators and party’s Mau city unit president, Mukhtar Husain, have also joined the BSP after he was denied the ticket.

The SP has fielded Abid Akhtar, who is in his early 40s, a debutant for the Mau Nagar Palika chairperson election. “I was first told that I would be the SP’s candidate (for Mau Nagar Palika chairperson). Then, the party put my name on hold, and finally, gave the ticket to a first-timer (Abid Akhtar). I had no choice but to join the BSP. I will now contest on a BSP ticket,” Jamaal told The Indian Express.

Husain, who also joined the BSP along with Jamaal, said: “Someone who has worked tirelessly for the party for more than 35 years is denied a ticket at the last moment. It was wrong, and, therefore, I joined the BSP along with 13 corporators.”

SP’s Mau district unit president Doodhnath Yadav, however, claimed that no party corporator had joined the BSP. “It is not true. Yes, Mukhtar Hussain, who was our city unit president has left, but our corporators haven’t,” he said.

On Jamaal joining the BSP, Yadav said, “There were a lot of candidates in the fray (for the tickets). The party picked one – Abid Akhtar. This happens in local elections.”

Last week, the party was left embarrassed after its official nominee for Shahjahanpur mayor’s post, Archana Verma, joined BJP on the eve of the last day of filing nominations. Verma, 51, is now contesting as a BJP nominee.

The elections to UP’s 760 urban local bodies – including 17 Municipal Corporations, 199 Nagar Palika Parishads and 544 Nagar Panchayats – will be held in two phases on May 4 and 11.

The counting of votes will take place on May 13.