Will go out of respect for Akhilesh Yadav but won't campaign for SP candidate: ST Hasan on SP chief's Moradabad visit

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 14 (ANI): Ahead of Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav's visit to Moradabad, party leader and sitting MP ST Hasan said that he would accompany the party chief out of compulsion but will not campaign for the party's candidate, Ruchi Vira.
Hasan said that the people are sad and if he campaigns then they'll be against him.
"I got to know this through media and newspapers. If Akhilesh Yadav calls me or comes to my home, I'll accompany him out of compulsion as my etiquette says so. I'll go out of my respect for Akhilesh Yadav but will not campaign (for SP candidate, Ruchi Vira). People are sad and if I campaign they'll be against me," Hasan told ANI on Saturday.
Akhilesh Yadav will address an election rally in Moradabad in support of party candidate Ruchi Veera on Sunday.
"National President of Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister Shri Akhilesh Yadav will address an election rally at Government Inter College Police Station Mughalpura Moradabad on Sunday, April 14 at 12:25 pm in support of Samajwadi Party INDIA Alliance candidate Ruchi Veera (Lok Sabha, 06-Moradabad) in Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency," the official X handle of SP posted on Saturday.
There was suspense over the Moradabad seat as sitting MP ST Hasan filed his nomination on March 26, but there were speculations that the Samajwadi Party would go with Ruchi Vira.
Later, Ruchi Vira filed her nomination from the Moradabad constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on March 27 and Hasan withdrew his nomination the same evening.
After filing her nomination, Ruchi Vira said that anyone having doubts should speak to the returning officer regarding the rules.
The BJP has fielded Kumar Sarvesh Singh against Ruchi Vira from the Moradabad constituency.
In the 2019 general elections, SP's ST Hasan won the Moradabad seat, gathering 50 per cent of votes.
He defeated the BJP's Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar, who gathered 551,538 votes. Congress' Imran Pratapgarhi came on third.
Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, will vote in all seven phases.
Earlier in the 2019 elections, proving all the arithmetic of the SP-BSP 'mahagatbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh wrong, the BJP and its ally Apna Dal(S) won 64 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. The alliance partners, Akhilesh Yadav's party and Mayawati Party's, won 15 seats.
Voting for phases one and two will be held on April 19 and April 26. Next, the state will once again poll in phases three and four on May 7 and May 13.
The voting for the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat will be held in the first phase on April 19. (ANI)