UP Election 2022: BJP leader Mukesh Verma becomes 7th MLA to quit party ahead of polls

In a major setback for the BJP, another MLA and backward leader Mukesh Verma has resigned from the saffron party ahead of the polls. He shared his resignation letter on Twitter and arrived at the residence of Swami Prasad Maurya, who initiated the exodus. Mukesh Verma, an MLA from Firozabad in western Uttar Pradesh, is an OBC (Other Backward Class) politician, like Swami Prasad Maurya and four other BJP members. They have resigned in the previous three days.

Like all the others before it, his resignation letter condemned the party for failing to support backward castes in Uttar Pradesh. He named Swami Prasad Maurya "the voice of the oppressed" and "our leader."

In the letter, he stated that the BJP government did not pay any attention to Dalits, backward castes and minorities and disrespected people's representatives in the past five years

This comes only days after OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state government and three other MLAs declared their intention to leave the BJP. Brajesh Prajapati of Tindwari, Roshan Lal Varma of Tilhar, and Bhagwati Sagar of Bilhaur have declared their departure from the BJP in favour of Maurya, with anticipation that more may follow.

Also Read | UP Election 2022: Another setback for BJP, Dara Singh Chauhan quits party

The long-awaited assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven parts beginning February 10, with the last round taking place on March 7. The major battleground is between the incumbent BJP and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP).

• BJP
• Congress
• Samajwadi Party
• UP Election 2022
• Mukesh Verma