'Ghar Wapsi' In Uttar Pradesh: SP Leader Dara Singh Chauhan Joins BJP Back, Resigns As MLA From Ghosi

Former Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA, Dara Singh Chauhan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on Monday (17 July) afternoon.

Chauhan, who had resigned as an SP MLA two days prior, joined the saffron party in the presence of both Deputy Chief Ministers and the state party chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary. Prior to his resignation, Chauhan had also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi.

It's worth noting that before joining the SP in 2022, he was previously associated with the BJP and served as a cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led state government from 2017 to 2022, holding portfolios such as Forests, Environment, and Animal Husbandry.

Chauhan, who represented the Ghosi constituency in Mau district, submitted his resignation to Speaker Satish Mahana, as confirmed by Uttar Pradesh Assembly Principal Secretary Pradeep Dubey. In his resignation letter, Chauhan did not provide any specific reasons for stepping down.

Interestingly, Chauhan commenced his political career with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In 1996 and 2000, Chauhan served as a Rajya Sabha member. Subsequently, he contested and emerged victorious in the 2009 general election, representing the Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency as a candidate from the BSP.

In 2015, Chauhan made a transition and joined the BJ). He went on to participate in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from the Madhuban Vidhansabha constituency. Notably, from 2017 to 2022, Chauhan held the position of cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government.

However, in January 2022, he made another shift in his political affiliation and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP). With the SP's ticket, he contested the 2022 Assembly election and emerged victorious, securing the MLA position from the Ghosi seat.

Dara Singh Chauhan holds prominence as an OBC (Other Backward Class) representative within the realm of Uttar Pradesh politics.