"Won't campaign in Moradabad for party's candidate," SP leader ST Hasan

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 28 (ANI): Samajwadi party leader ST Hasan on Thursday said that he would not be campaigning in Moradabad for the party's candidate, Ruchi Vira, adding that it would be "very disheartening" for those who supported and prayed for him in Moradabad.
"When the party has decided to field another candidate and the party's president has also sent me the letter, then it was obvious that I won't be getting the symbol. I will not be campaigning in Moradabad for the party's candidate; it will be very disheartening for those who supported and prayed for me," ST Hasan told ANI.
He further asserted that he tried to meet Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav but did not got the chance to meet.
"Akhilesh Yadav has definitely sent me the letter, but when I tried to meet him, an 'outsider' MLA from the party captured his (Akhilesh Yadav) team so that I don't get to meet him," he added.
There was suspense over the Moradabad seat as ST Hasan filed his nomination on Tuesday, but there were speculations that the Samajwadi Party would go with Ruchi Vira.
Samajwadi Party leader Ruchi Vira filed her nomination from the Moradabad constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday.
After filing her nomination, Ruchi Vira said that anyone having doubts should speak to the returning officer regarding the rules.
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.
The Uttar Pradesh electorate will also vote in phases five, six and seven on May 20, May 23 and June 1 respectively.
The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)