LUCKNOW: The saga of defections of disgruntled ministers and MLAs in Uttar Pradesh just ahead of elections, after having enjoyed a full term of five years, continued on Thursday with minister Dharam Singh Saini quitting the Yogi Adityanath government and two MLAs — Mukesh Verma (Shikohabad) and Vinay Shakya (Bidhuna) — resigning from the BJP.
While OBC leader Saini cited the BJP-led government’s alleged neglect of the backward class, the two MLAs also gave similar reasons. All three are expected to join the Samajwadi Party. Just like Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan, SP chief Akhikesh Yadav tweeted his picture with Saini also, calling him a crusader of social justice.
With this, the number of leaders who have left the BJP has risen to 13. According to sources, BJP MLA from Dhaurahara Bala Prasad Awasthi is also planning to quit. Notably, most of the deserters had defected to the BJP from the BSP in 2017 just before the polls.
Saini won the 2002 and 2007 elections from Sarsawa in Saharanpur as a BSP candidate. He was shifted to Nakur in 2012 where he defeated Congress strongman Imran Masood. He won from Nakur again on a BJP ticket in 2017.
While Saini was yet to announce his resignation from the BJP, he claimed to media persons that exits from the party would continue till January 20. Before leaving for SP office to meet Akhilesh, Saini eturned his security cover and vacated the house allocated to him by the state government, giving enough hint about his plans to quit. On Tuesday, he had denied he had plans to quit the BJP. Saini’s exit came about a day after Naresh Saini the sitting Congress MLA from Behut, which is adjoining D S Saini’s Nakur seat, joined the BJP.