In a big jolt to Samajwadi Party ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, four SP MLCs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, expressing faith in the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The turncoats embraced the saffron hue in the presence of state BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and Deputy CMs Dinesh Sharma & Keshav Prasad Maurya in Lucknow. The four SP MLCs who switched allegiance are Ravi Shankar Singh Pappu, CP Chand, Akshay Pratap Singh and Ram Niranjan. Incidentally, all of them are Thakur by caste and their terms are expiring in March next year. All these leaders wield considerable influence in their respective areas.
Ravi Shankar Singh Pappu is the nephew of former Prime Minister late Chandra Shekhar and earlier, the former PM’s son Neeraj Shekhar had joined the BJP. CP Chand is the son of former UP minister Markanday Chand and Akshay Pratap Singh is a cousin of former UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh (Raja Bhaiyya). Besides, BSP MLC from Jaunpur Brijesh Singh 'Princu', considered close to former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, is also changing loyalties to join the BJP.
Meanwhile, BJP national president JP Nadda will be on a two-day tour of Uttar Pradesh from November 22 and hold a meeting with the party workers in view of the Assembly polls scheduled early next year. Party sources said on Wednesday that Nadda would meet booth level presidents in Gorakhpur on November 22. The BJP president will have an overnight stay in Lucknow. He will hold a meeting with booth presidents in Kanpur on November 23.