In a big blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party days head of the crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Labour Minister and the party’s OBC face Swami Prasad Maurya tendered his resignation from the government on Tuesday.
Maurya alleged that he was “uncomfortable” in the party as OBCs, Dalits and the youth were being neglected. According to sources, the leader is now expected to join the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday in Lucknow.
Along with Swami Maurya, another Minister Dharm Singh Saini and four BJP MLAs may join the Samajwadi Party soon, the sources said.
“You will see my resignation’s impact when results of 2022 polls come. There are not just three, but dozens of MLAs who will leave BJP,” Maurya later told media.
Reacting to the development, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said in a tweet, “What Swami Prasad Maurya ji’s reasons for resignation were, I do not know. But I appeal to him to sit and talk, hasty decisions often prove to be wrong.”
Maurya’s resignation letter was taken to the Raj Bhawan by another BJP MLA Roshan Lal Verma, who also said he might might resign and switch over to SP.
The Labour Minister was said to have been unhappy for some time, and had been mulling over the decision to quit and switch for a while.
Sources said leader had been in touch with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and had also met him at his residence a few days back.
As soon as the news of Swami Prasad Maurya’s resignation was made public, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted a picture of him with Maurya and wrote, “We welcome all the respected leaders who fought for social equality to SP. His workers and supporters will get full respect in SP. There will be a socialist revolution in 2022.”
Maurya, who was also considered a big OBC face of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, tendered his resignation to the Governor on Tuesday morning.
Sources in the Samajwadi Party said many more BJP leaders and sitting MLAs were in touch with the party’s leadership and were expected to switch to SP soon.
They said three more Ministers may switch over to Akhilesh Yadav’s party.
The leader has been a three-time MLA from Padrauna assembly constituency had joined BJP after leaving BSP a year back. The switchover of Maurya from BJP to SP is being seen as a part of SP’s strategy to consolidate Non-Yadav OBC voters on its side ahead of the assembly polls.
Swami Prasad Maurya’s daughter is a sitting BJP MP from Badaun.
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