BJP’s new move to get stronger in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: In an attempt to increase its base among dalits, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh is now ready to welcome disgruntled BSP leaders who are being shown the door by Ms Mayawati.

These ousted BSP leaders have done considerable amount of work at the grassroots level among dalits and the BJP feels that they could be an asset in bringing dalits closer to the party.

Former BSP MP Dara Singh Chauhan, who was expelled from the BSP last month, has reportedly held a series of meetings with the BJP leadership in Delhi and modalities about his joining the party are being worked out.

Jugal Kishore, once a close confidant of Ms Mayawati, was divested of his posts in the BSP two days ago and has unfurled the banner of revolt against Ms Mayawati.

But Mr Kishore, who is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, will not be able to join the BJP immediately since that would lead to his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha where he still has a one-and-a-half year term left.

In fact, if BSP sources are to be believed, it is because of this that Ms Mayawati has still not expelled Jugal Kishore from the party since that would leave him “unattached” and free to work for other parties the BJP in this case.

Rama Shankar Rajbhar, former MP from Salempur constituency, who was expelled from the party last week, is another former BSP leader who is being wooed by the BJP.

He had won the seat in the 2009 polls but Mayawati denied him the ticket in 2014 and fielded Ravi Shankar Singh who lost the polls.

Dr Akhilesh Das who resigned from the BSP in November last year, is another leader who is being eyed by the BJP. Dr Das is still weighing his options of either floating a party parallel to the Congress or joining the BJP.

“We have received feelers from the BJP but Dr Akhilesh Das will hold a meeting with his supporters and then take the final decision,” said a close aide of the former MP.