One BJP MLA, 6 rebel BSP MLAs join Samajwadi Party

The BJP MLA, Rakesh Rathore had met Akhilesh more than once in the last six months and had been speaking against the BJP

One Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature and six rebel Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs (member of legislative assembly) joined Samajwadi Party on Saturday in the presence of Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav at the SP state headquarters in Lucknow.

Last week, Akhilesh Yadav stitched an alliance with SBSP (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party)--a former BJP ally-turned-rival. (PTI Photo)

The development came a day after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav inducted two western UP Congress heavyweights Harendra Malik (former parliamentarian) and his former MLA son Pankaj Malik.

Rakesh Rathore, a BJP MLA from Sitapur Sadar assembly constituency joined Akhilesh’s party along with six BSP rebel MLAs - Aslam Raini, MLA from Bhigna (Shravasti), Mujtaba Siddiqui (Pratapur, Prayagraj), Aslam Ali Chaudhary (Dhalauna, Hapur), Hakim Lal Bind (Handia, Prayagraj), Sushma Patel (Mungra Badshapur, Jaunpur), and Hargovind Bhargava (Sidhauli, Sitapur).

BSP had suspended these MLAs after they opposed the nomination of BSP’s official candidate for Rajya Sabha polls last October.

After inducting the seven MLAs, Akhilesh said: “After today, the chief minister (Yogi Adityanath) will change his slogan from ‘Mera Parivaar, BhaJaPa (My family, BJP)’ to ‘Mera Parivaar, Bhaagta Parivaar (My family is running away)”.

The six rebel BSP MLAs had met Akhilesh Yadav then for the first time and now later in June this year. The BJP MLA, Rakesh Rathore too had met Akhilesh more than once in the last six months and had been speaking against the BJP.

On Monday, former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders Lalji Verma and Ramachal Rajbhar had announced that they will formally join the Samajwadi Party at a rally in Ambedkar Nagar district on November 7 in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Samajwadi Party, for the last one-and-a-half years, has been attracting leaders from other parties--largely BSP and Congress, and the switch overs have intensified as the assembly polls draw close. Akhilesh Yadav has been repeatedly saying that “any leader who wishes to join SP is welcome” and “SP will not ally with any big political party and will instead opt for strategic alliances with small regional parties”. Last week, Akhilesh Yadav stitched an alliance with SBSP (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party)--a former BJP ally-turned-rival.