UTTAR PRADESH
BRAJESH PATHAK From: BSP to BJP in September 2016
USP: A former BSP MP, he played a critical role in forging Dalit-Brahmin unity for Mayawati. Is deputy CM in UP and is the BJP’s predominant Brahmin face
SATYAPAL SINGH BAGHEL From: BSP to BJP in 2017 USP: Was a BSP Rajya Sabha MP since 2014. Was formerly close to Mulayam Singh but a soured relationship with Akhilesh Yadav led to his exiting the party. He is now a minister in the Modi government
RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI From: Congress to BJP in 2016
USP: A former state PCC chief, she switched to the BJP before the 2017 polls. She is now the party’s MP from Allahabad. Her brother and former CM of Uttarakhand Vijay Bahuguna also joined the BJP. Her nephew Saurabh Bahuguna is minister in the Pushkar Singh Dhami government
JITIN PRASADA From: Congress to BJP in June 2021
USP: A former Congress MP, he was in the core group of Rahul Gandhi. He is now PWD minister in Uttar Pradesh
NAND GOPAL GUPTA From: Congress to BJP in January 2017
USP: A former BSP legislator and confidant of Mayawati. Contested the Lok Sabha polls from Allahabad as a Congressman. Now minister for industries in UP
NARENDRA BHATTI From: SP to BJP in November 2021
USP: Formerly Mulayam Singh’s pointsman in western Uttar Pradesh and a dominant Gurjar leader, he is now a BJP MLC
CHAUDHARY LAXMI NARAYAN
From: BSP to BJP in 2015 USP: An influential Jat leader and six-time MLA, he has been associated with the Lok Dal, the Janata Dal, the Congress and the BSP
KAUSHAL KISHORE From: Rashtravadi Communist Party to the BJP in 2014
USP: Formerly an MoS in the SP. Has a deep network and is widely accepted among Dalits in eastern UP