UP: Trouble for Samajwadi Party, BSP as three MLCs resign, may join BJP

Lucknow: After the exodus in the Congress in Gujarat, defections from Samajwadi Party to BJP seem to have started in full swing 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 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, a condition necessary for holding his post in the government. Following this, there would be no need for Yogi Adityanath to contest an Assembly berth. 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 apni seat Yogi ji ke liye samarpit kar di hai.” (I have given up my seat to make way for Yogiji.)”. 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.