Dissension in BJP over Pilibhit ticket, SP also faces revolt over candidate selection

'The BJP has fielded an outsider from Pilibhit.....it should have given its ticket to some local leader,' Hemraj Verma , who had crossed over to the BJP from the SP last year said.

Lucknow: The candidature of UP PWD minister Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat replacing sitting MP Varun Gandhi has triggered dissension in the BJP with former minister and senior party leader Hemraj Verma threatening to contest against the official nominee as an independent candidate.

Verma, who was a strong contender for the Pilibhit LS seat, also reportedly purchased the nomination paper despite efforts by the party leadership to persuade him. ''The BJP has fielded an outsider from Pilibhit.....it should have given its ticket to some local leader,'' Verma, who had crossed over to the BJP from the SP last year said.

He said that his supporters were 'hurt' by the decision of the BJP leadership. ''I will take a decision about contesting the poll as an independent candidate after consulting my supporters,'' he added.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) was also facing dissension over nominations of candidates from Rampur, Moradabad and Meerut LS seats. In Moradabad, two SP nominees reached the collectorate for filing their nomination papers on Wednesday, according to the reports.

SP had fielded sitting MP S T Hasan from Moradabad but another senior party leader Ruchi Veera on Wednesday claimed that she had been asked by the party leadership to file nomination from Moradabad. The supporters of Hasan also protested and held a demonstration before the SP office.

Similar dissension was witnessed at Rampur also where the SP had fielded Mohibullah Nadvi, the imam of a mosque in Delhi. The district president of the SP had also purchased nomination papers to contest from Rampur seat.

SP leaders were also protesting the official party nominee from Meerut seat Bhanu Pratap Singh. According to the SP sources here, SP president Akhilesh Yadav has convened a meeting of the local leaders to resolve the issue. There were reports that SP could change its nominee from Meerut.