MORADABAD: Three days after announcing the candidature of meat exporter Nasir Qureshi as nominee from Moradabad Lok Sabha seat, Samajwadi Party on Saturday replaced him with former mayor ST Hasan . The step was taken following a rebellion in the party’s rank and file, say sources.A prominent Muslim face of Moradabad division, Hasan is considered to be a close ally of SP leader Mohammad Azam Khan. He had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and secured second position by bagging 3.97 lakh votes.According to party leaders, Nasir Qureshi met SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Saturday before announcement of Hasan’s name.Nasir Qureshi had joined the SP six months ago after quitting Bahujan Samaj Party. He had also contested the state assembly elections in 2012 from Moradabad Dehat seat and again in 2017, from Kant assembly seat. Qureshi lost both elections.Moradabad district SP unit president Rajeev Singhal was also a strong contender for the Moradabad ticket.Speaking with TOI, SP MLA and in charge of Moradabad elections, Iqram Qureshi said the move to replace Qureshi with Hasan was “a unanimous decision of the top party leaders”. “Party leader Akhilesh Yadav announced Hasan’s candidature. We have appealed to all party workers to come together to combat communal forces and unanimously support party’s candidate to the elections.”

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