SP leader withdraws election petition against BJP MP Sanghamitra Maurya

BADAUN: Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav has said he has withdrawn his election petition filed before the Allahabad High Court against sitting MP Sanghamitra Maurya, accusing her of submitting "incorrect information" in a poll affidavit.

Maurya, the daughter of Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, had fought the 2019 general elections from Budaun on a BJP ticket.

She had won the contest defeating Dharmendra Yadav, the then sitting MP from the seat, with a margin of 18,000 votes.

Dharmendra Yadav is a cousin of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

After the conclusion of the 2019 general election, Dharmendra Yadav had filed the petition contending that some information provided by Sanghamitra Maurya in her election affidavit was incorrect.

He had also alleged voting fraud in his petition and accused the election officials of not being fair.

Dharmendra Yadav on Saturday told PTI that he had filed an undertaking to withdraw the petition a few months ago which was accepted by the High Court on Friday last.

"There seems to be no need for the petition now. Swami Prasad Maurya, father of Sanghamitra Maurya, is in our party, and to avoid a situation of differences the petition was taken back."

Swami Prasad Maurya, who was a minister in the previous Yogi Adityanath government, was in the BJP at the time of the 2019 general elections.

He had moved to the SP just before the recent state assembly elections, and is currently an MLC from SP.

Sanghamitra Maurya, reacting to the development, told PTI: "I don't know about his personal thoughts before taking back the petition. I just want to say that he has accepted the defeat of 2019 from his heart."

When asked if she will join the SP like her father, she said, "I have the support of the people. I have not been swayed by anyone in the past three years. If Dharmendra Yadav wants to join BJP, he is welcome."