Swami Prasad Maurya blackmailed BJP for poll tickets: BJP MP

Uttar Pradesh assembly election 2022: BJP MP Kamlesh Paswan hit out at Swami Prasad Maurya, accusing him of switching sides out of greed

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kamlesh Paswan on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the former Uttar Pradesh minister and now Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, accusing him of blackmailing the saffron party for election tickets.

Swami Prasad Maurya is contesting Fazilnagar, instead of Padrauna, which he represented since 2008 (Deepak Gupta/HT)

“I am directly accusing Swami Prasad Maurya that he was seeking election tickets for some family members by blackmailing the BJP, which the party refused, and so he joined another party,” the BJP leader told news agency ANI.

Paswan continued his attacks on Maurya, a prominent OBC leader with stints in BJP and BSP. "Swami Prasad Maurya was a three-time MLA. The BJP gave him honour when no one else did. He was made a cabinet minister, but now out of greed, he went to another party. I don't want to target him too much now but his fate is going to change after March 10," the BJP lawmaker added.

Swami Prasad Maurya had quit the BJP last month, joining hands with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. He will be contesting polls from Kushinagar's Fazilnagar seat, instead of Padrauna which he has represented since 2008.

Uttar Pradesh is going to polls from February 10 in seven-phase elections to the 403-member assembly. The last round of voting will take place on March 7 and counting of votes will be held on March 10.

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