Babu Singh Kushwaha, picked up by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh after being sacked for corruption by Mayawati, asked for his membership to be put on hold. The BJP was cornered by political rivals for its doublespeak on corruption after it inducted Kushwaha and another Maya
discard.
In a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, Kushwaha said his party membership should be suspended till he proved his "innocence". The letter was used by the BJP as a face-saver, though it was seen more as an understanding between the two.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP for Kushwaha's induction. "He approached the Congress and pleaded with us but we refused and said we would not save you. You will be sent to jail," Gandhi said in Gorakhpur.
Kushwaha accused the Congress and BSP of harassing him for protesting the dilution of the OBC quota by including backward Muslims. His letter seeks to protect the BJP's anti-graft posture while containing a possible Kushwaha/OBC backlash in the state — a vote bank the BJP needs to counter the Congress.