2 MLCs from SP resign, time it with Shah arrival
After the exodus in the Congress in Gujarat, defections from Samajwadi Party to the BJP seem to have begun in Uttar Pradesh. The SP on Saturday suffered its first major jolt when two of its MLCs resigned from the Vidhan Parishad. One BSP MLC also resigned from the party and the Vidhan Parishad. All three submitted their handwritten resignations to the chairman of the Vidhan Parishad and are expected to join the BJP.
The resignations were perfectly timed with the arrival of BJP president Amit Shah in Lucknow.
The resignations of MLCs Bukkal Nawab and Yashwant Singh are seen as a move to pave the way for chief minister Yogi Adityanath to enter the state legislature
The resignations of SP MLCs Bukkal Nawab and Yashwant Singh are seen as a move to pave the way for chief minister Yogi Adityanath to enter the state legislature, a condition necessary for holding his post in the government. Following this, there would be no need for Yogi Adityanath to contest an Assembly seat. He will merely need to get elected to the Legislative Council. Five ministers, including chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and two ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza, are not members of the state legislature yet. They need to get elected to either House before September 19 or when they complete six months in office.
The BSP MLC Thakur Jaiveer Singh also resigned from the Vidhan Parishad.
Yeshwant Singh, when contacted, said, “Maine
Continued from Page 1 apni seat Yogi ji (Adityanath) ke liye samarpit kar di hai.” (I have given up my seat to make way forYogiji.)”. This is an indication that the chief minister will probably take the Vidhan Parishad route to become a member of the state legislature.
Over and above this, the BJP has also set its eyes on SP heavyweights — Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav. Cautioning SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, his uncle Shivpal Yadav on Saturday asked him to “return” the party to his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“Akhilesh still has the opportunity. He should hand over party’s leadership to Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and move on. Or else, dissension will rise in the party,” Shivpal Yadav told the media in Lucknow. There are indications that more legislators from SP and BSP are likely to quit in the coming days. Shivpal Yadav reached Delhi on Saturday and is expected to hold parlyes with his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Shivpal Yadav, who had earlier indicated that he would float a new political outfit has no intention of joining or merging his proposed outfit with BJP. “The main objective of this outfit would be to damage the Akhilesh-led SP and offer issuebased support to the BJP,” sources said. Earlier when talking about the proposed outfit, Shivpal Yadav had said: “Humne ek mauka diya hai ki pura pariwar ikattha ho aur Netaji ko fir se samman mile. Agar nahi to Samajwadi Secular Morcha Netaji ke netritwa mein jald hi banayenge aur samajik nyay ki ladayi ladenge,” (We have given them a final opportunity to end differences in the family, come together and give respect to the SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. If that does not happen, we will form the Saamajwadi Secular Morcha led by Netaji to fight for social justice).
As for Akhilesh Yadav’s other uncle, Ram Gopal Yadav, there were murmurs that he too could be cosying up to the BJP. Eyebrows were raised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a party in Delhi hosted by Ram Gopal Yadav a few days back.
Reports indicated that Mr Modi also “praised” Mr Yadav in the party.
It may be recalled that Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav not only announced his support to the BJP in the presidential elections but he and his younger brother Shivpal Yadav even voted for President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Opposition leaders seemed to be in a total state of confusion following the sudden exodus of their legislators and leaders. Reacting to his MLA joining BJP, the SP president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said that he had met Bhukkal Nawab on Eid last month and had no idea about his “change of heart”.
BSP president Ms Mayawati, said in a statement that the “BJP’s craving for power has turned into a lust for power. The BJP is becoming dangerous for democracy”.
Deputy chief minister Keshav Maurya said that he was now working towards a ‘SP-BSP mukt UP’ and the BJP would soon achieve its target.