Samajwadi Party has replaced its candidate for Varanasi Local Authority constituency for the biennial legislative council election, following protests by party workers over alleged criminal background of the nominee.
"The party has replaced Amir Chand Patel with Meena Singh for the Varanasi Local Authority constituency," SP's Varanasi district president Satish Fauzi said today.
Singh, a Zila Panchayat member, is sister of Manoj Kumar Singh, the SP MLA from Syed Raza constituency in Chandauli district.
Patel faces cases of murder and rape. SP MLA Singh said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav does not want to malign the image of the party by fielding tainted persons like Patel.
The SP nominee is pitted against jailed mafia don Brijesh Singh who has filed nomination as an Independent. Singh has nearly a dozen cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion pending against him in many states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in Lok Sabha, is a voter in the election.
BJP, Congress and BSP are yet to field their candidates.
Nominations for the legislative council election to fill up vacant seats from 35 local authority constituencies has begun. Polling will be held on March 3 and counting of votes on March 6.
