Lucknow, Jan 18 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) for replacing Nahid Hasan, its candidate from the Kairana Assembly seat in west UP with his sister Iqra Hasan.

"I have heard that under severe criticism, the SP has now replaced its tainted candidate from Kairana with his sister. This is unacceptable as the BJP believes that fielding a tainted individual or any of their family members is equally wrong," Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

Nahid Hasan was arrested under the Gangsters Act on Saturday soon after the SP announced his candidature.

BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, targeted SP for fielding 'tainted' candidates.

Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur had also hit out at the SP on the issue. He said while the BJP was drawing honest leaders and professionals, the SP was fielding those lawmakers who were either in jail or just out on bail.

Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that one member from Nahid 's family would be given a ticket. Thereafter, he named Nahid's sister Iqra Hasan as the SP candidate from Kairana.

Maurya also hit out at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for taking a pledge with grain in hand about working for the welfare of the farmers, if voted to power.

Keshav Prasad Maurya further said, "As for Akhilesh Yadav's pledge to work for farmers, all I can say is that it is just a political stunt. What did the SP do for farmers when it was in power? They should have then provided MSP to farmers for their produce, and cleared dues of sugarcane farmers."

"Yeh koi nayi sapa nahin, wahi sapa hai (this is no new SP, it's the same old SP)," Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

The remark was made in the context of a SP campaign theme -- 'nayi sapa hai, nayi hawa hai (it's a new SP and welcome winds of change are blowing).