UP Election 2022: Ex-minister Dara Singh Chauhan joins Samajwadi Party
He is the third minister to leave the ruling camp for the Yadav-led party after Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini.
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FollowFormer Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Dara Singh Chauhan and BJP legislator from the Madhuban constituency, who recently quit the state council of ministers, formally joined the Samajwadi Party in the presence of its national president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Sunday.
He is the third minister to leave the ruling camp for the Yadav-led party after Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini.
In a big jolt to BJP, Chauhan on January 12 quit the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet, resigning from held the Forest and Environment portfolio. “Dalits, those backwards and deprived did not get justice in the present government. That's why I'm quitting the cabinet,” Chauhan said.
Five BJP MLAs and Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Amar Singh Chaudhary, who is an MLA from Shohratgarh, also joined the SP in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
All the leaders had resigned from the BJP in quick succession over the past few days. Uttar Pradesh is set to see a seven-phase Assembly election from next month.
Also read: UP Election 2022: Akhilesh Yadav takes jibe at Yogi Adityanath, clears air on breakup with Azad
Vowing to make Yadav the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Chauhan said, “In 2017, the BJP took votes from people belonging to backward communities, but did not give anything in return. Hence, all those belonging to backward communities are trooping to the SP,” he said.
Yadav said, “I congratulate both of you for having joined the fight to defeat and oust the BJP. Let us fight in a manner that the BJP candidates' poll deposits are forfeited.”
“People of the double-engine government (BJP at the Centre and state) are dismantling each other's wheels,” he said in an apparent dig at issues between saffron camp leaders in Delhi and UP.
“There is a saying in English ‘strike the iron when it is hot’. So we decided to welcome these leaders into the party at the right time. The BJP does not understand English saying. If they did, they would go into a depression,” Yadav added.
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