The Bharatiya Janata Party got a shot in its arm as several leaders from the BSP, the Congress and the SP including some sitting and former legislators joined the party with a resolve to bring the Saffron outfit back to power.
“The joining of such large number of leaders only indicates the popularity of the BJP among the people. These are leaders who have good support base and have political standing of several years. These leaders know which party can bring smiles to the faces of the people and have therefore joined it,” state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said in lucknow on Friday.
Prominent among those switched sides are ruling SP MlA Shyam Prakash from Gopamua seat of Hardoi and Congress MlA from Gangoh constituency of Saharanpur Pradeep Chaudhary.
Altogether, 34 leaders from rival parties joined the BJP which includes Dharamveer Singh Bagga, Ajay Kumar and Hargovind Kushawaha from the BSP, former MlC Vikas Sharma and Congress leader from Rae Bareli Shiv Ganesh lodhi.
Welcoming the leaders into the party, the state BJP chief said that the joining of these leaders was an indicator that the BJP is coming to power with full majority in UP. "This is our commitment to the people that the BJP will give a clean and transparent government," Maurya said.
The new entrants also expressed their commitment towards the BJP and said they would work unitedly to ensure the party's return to power.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance has proved that only the BJP has a vision of development. People have already started talking about the return of BJP to power in UP. We will help the party leaders in fulfilling that dream,” former Congress leader Pradeep Chaudhary said.
Earlier this month, five MlAs - three from the Congress and two from the BSP, had joined the BJP in lucknow while senior BSP leader Brajesh Pathak joined the party in New Delhi on August 22.