The return of Haridwar strongman Mohammad Shahzad into Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) could prove beneficial to the party struggling to hold its ground in Uttarakhand. Shahzad, who is a two-time MlA, has returned to the BSP’s fold after three years.
The State President of the party, Satish Kumar told The Pioneer that return of former MlA would definitely give a fillip to the party in the state. He said that Shahzad is a popular leader and is associated with the ideology of the party. The state President claimed that many more leaders of stature would join party in the coming days. He however refused to divulge their names. The state President said that the immediate aim of the party is to ensure victory of its members in the ensuing Panchayat elections in Haridwar district.
Haridwar district holds the key to the success of party in Uttarakhand from where it won all its three seats in last assembly elections. In Haridwar the Muslims and Dalits constitute 45 percent of total electorate and it is where leaders like Shahzad hold importance as they are able to influence this section of the society. His entry in the party was expected soon after the Party supremo Mayawati expelled three senior leaders including former state President C P Singh last month. It is believed that these leaders paid price for leaking the information based on which brother of Mohammad Shahzad was caught with a huge sum at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh recently.