Maurya’s switch to SP charges up political atmosphere in UP

A celebration of sorts happened outside the SP office, followed by speculations about who all were joining the SP and who from the Akhilesh-led party were headed towards the BJP

LUCKNOW At 2.15pm on Tuesday, when Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, while sitting at the party’s Janeshwar Mishra Trust premises, tweeted a picture of himself with the BJP government’s minister Swami Prasad Maurya, a group of SP workers at the party’s state headquarters nearby erupted in jubilation after reading the post. One in the group exulted: “BJP khatm” (BJP is wiped out), followed by others who chorused: “BJP khatm”.

Samajwadi Party workers outside their partyoffice in Lucknow on Tuesday after UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya and other MLAs resigned from the BJP. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

An hour later, Akhilesh tweeted a message that ended with “BJP khatm”.

The crowd at the SP office saw a cold Tuesday turn into a “politically surcharged day” in the state.

Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav had been discussing ticket distribution with his uncle and party’s national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav at the party office. After that, he drove alone to the Janeshwar Mishra Trust just about 200 meters away.

Maurya joined Akhilesh at the Trust premises, where they stayed together for about 35 minutes after 11am onwards. After Maurya left the place, a picture of the two together -- all smiles -- standing side by side went viral on social media.

Maurya had sent his resignation to the Governor through one of the three BJP MLAs who had quit their seats during the day.

Around 4pm, when SP founder and chief patron Mulayam Singh Yadav drove to the SP office, there were speculations that Shivpal may merge his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-L (PSP-L) with the SP. However, Shivpal’s camp denied any such development “at this stage”, saying that Shivpal did not meet Ramgopal or Akhilesh since morning. A party source said Mulayam came to the party office in a sequence that was unrelated to Swami Prasad Maurya or related developments. “He just came here the way he came yesterday – to interact with party workers,” added the source.

Though Akhilesh’s tweet made it clear that Maurya was in, the SP did not make any official announcement that Maurya or some other MLAs with Maurya had joined the party.

“Perhaps on Makar Sankranti, there will be a big press conference by Akhilesh ji where Maurya, along with other MLAs, will join the SP,” a senior party leader said over the phone.

Maurya is not the first leader from the rival camps (BJP, Congress, or BSP) shaking hands with Akhilesh. The trend is on since July 2019. But he is the first minister headed towards the SP ahead of the UP Assembly elections.

Swami Prasad Maurya shook hands with the SP five years after the “first invitation” by Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the 2017 polls. At a press conference, Akhilesh had openly said that he would like Maurya to join the SP.

In August 2016, Maurya had joined the BJP leaving behind the BSP. Akhilesh Yadav, at another press conference, had remarked: “Galat party mein chaley gaye hain (he has gone to the wrong party).”