Samajwadi Party senior leader and seven times legislator and former minister Ashok Bajpai joined the BJP in presence of union home minister Rajnath Singh and Union MSME minister Kalraj Mishra here on Saturday. Bajpai had recently resigned from the membership of the State legislative Council and also from the primary membership of the Samajwadi party.
The state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was also present on the occasion of the joining of the leader at the state party office here, welcomed the SP leader in the party. Welcoming the SP leader, BJP state president said `` we are not interested in breaking any political we are only strengthening our party’’.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh welcoming Bajpai said `` he is my old friend and we know each other since 1977 when Bajpai was elected to the state assembly for the first time’’. He added `` the state president Keshav Prasad Maurya is only discharging his duty by welcoming Ashok Bajpai in the party’’.
Ashok Bajpai, a close associate of Mulayam Singh Yadav had resigned from the Samajwadi party over the marginalization of his mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Samajwadi party. Bajpai is the native of Hardoi district. Union home minister Rajnath Singh and Union MSME minister Kalraj Mishra too have welcomed the SP leader in the party fold. SP in 2014 lok Sabha election had fielded Bajpai from the lucknow lok Sabha seat against the Rajnath Singh of the BJP. SP however later replaced him and minister of state Abhishek Mishra was fielded by the party.
Along with Bajpa, several of his supporters and another SP leader Shweta Singh too joined the BJP.