Congress removes Prayagraj (Gangapar) chief for contesting Phulpur bypoll as Independent

Prayagraj (UP): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Friday removed Suresh Chandra Yadav as its Prayagraj (Gangapar) unit chief for filing nomination as an Independent for the bypolls to the Phulpur assembly seat.

"For filing nomination papers against the INDIA bloc candidate in the Phulpur assembly bye-election against the decision of the party leadership, you have been removed from the post of president of District Congress Committee Prayagraj (Gangapar) with immediate effect," state Congress Committee president Ajay Rai said in a letter issued to Yadav.

The bypoll to the Phulpur assembly constituency in Prayagraj district has been necessitated by the election of sitting BJP MLA Praveen Patel to Lok Sabha earlier this year.

The I.N.D.I.A. bloc has fielded Samajwadi Party's Mohd Mujtaba Siddiqui from the seat, and the Congress has announced its support to him.

The last date for filing nominations was October 25. Voting will take place on November 13 and the results will be announced on November 23.

The party has three district units in Prayagraj -- Gangapar, Yamunapar and City.

"Along with removing Suresh Chandra Yadav from the post, he has also been asked to give an explanation within 24 hours," Rai told PTI.

Earlier on Thursday, the Congress had announced it would not field candidates in the nine Assembly bypolls and would work unconditionally to ensure the victory of SP nominees or those of other alliance parties.

The Congress' assertion came a day after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said all the INDIA bloc candidates would contest the bypolls on his party's 'cycle' election symbol.

Yadav, a resident of Sonaoti village in Gangapar Jhunsi of the district, on Thursday filed his nomination with the district collectorate as an Independent The Election Commission has announced bypolls on nine seats in UP -- leaving out Milkipur (Ayodhya) -- of the 10 vacant seats in the state -- due to a court case.

Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad) are going to polls.

Eight of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha polls, while bypoll is being held on the Sisamau seat due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.