The last day of nomination for the first phase of polls saw dramatic flip-flops in Moradabad and Rampur Lok Sabha constituencies as fissures in the Samajwadi Party came out in the open.
In a bid to placate senior party leader Azam Khan, the party leadership made his confidante Ruchi Vira its official candidate in Moradabad, leaving its sitting MP Dr. S.T. Hasan in the cold. On Tuesday, Dr. Hasan had filed his nomination. The news of the sudden shift led to a ruckus in the local unit and Dr. Hasan’s supporters burnt effigies of Ms. Vira.
After the district magistrate declared Ms. Vira as the official candidate, Dr. Hasan told reporters that he filed his nomination after being given the party symbol. “I am surprised because if I were not worthy I would not have got it in the first place. There must be some compulsions but will stand by the high command’s decision,” he said.
