Uttar Pradesh: Minister In Yogi Adityanath Cabinet Swami Prasad Maurya Joins Samajwadi Party, Another MLA Announces Exit, Say Reports

Uttar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad Maurya has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Assembly election which is to be held next month.

He has joined Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. In his resignation letter, Maurya listed “negligent attitude towards Dalits, backwards, farmers, unemployed youth, small and medium businessmen” as the reason for his departure.

He is MLA from Padrauna seat in UP.

Akhilesh Yadav shared a post on Twitter with a photo of himself and Maurya saying:

"Warm welcome and greetings to the popular leader who fights for equality and social justice, Swami Prasad Maurya ji and other leaders and workers who have accompanied him to the SP. There will be a revolution for social justice, there will be change in 2022".

Maurya had quit the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) to join the BJP. He has also resigned as the Minister of Labour, Employment & Coordination to quit the BJP and finally join the Samajwadi Party.

Sections of the media have mentioned in reports that he "was demanding another seat in the upcoming elections for which the party was not ready, and therefore, he resigned from the government."

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya appealed to Swami Prasad Maurya, as evident in a post on Twitter, to hold discussions on his decision.

Keshav Prasad Maurya said in the post:

"I don't know the reasons behind the resignation from respected Swami Prasad Maurya, but I appeal to him to sit and hold discussions on the matter, decisions taken in a hurry often prove to be wrong."

Another BJP MLA, Roshan Lal Varma, has reportedly announced that he will leave the BJP at an 'appropriate time', reports say.

Varma reportedly came to Raj Bhawan carrying Swami Prasad Maurya's resignation letter. This report mentions that Varma said that Maurya was unwell and hence he had brought the resignation of Maurya.

Varma is quoted as saying: "I will decide after Maurya's resignation is accepted. About other MLAs, you will come to know by January 14."

Varma is a three-time MLA. Sections of the media have termed the exit of Swami Prasad Maurya as a "jolt to the BJP".