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BJP storm hits UP as three MLCs call it quits

After the party's debacle in the recent assemby polls, the resignations come as a big jolt to SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who was trying to forge a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh with BSP Supremo Mayawati and the Congress.

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BJP national president Amit Shah with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday
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In a jolt to the Samajwadi Party and BSP, three of their legislators resigned from their Legislative Council membership on Saturday, even as BJP president Amit Shah arrived in Lucknow on a three-day visit. The three lawmakers — Bukkal Nawab, Yashwant Singh and Madhukar Jaitley — are all members of the Upper House of the state Assembly.

Yashwant Singh (from SP) and Thakur Jaiveer Singh from BSP are considered to be close to former SP minister and independent MLA from Kunda (Pratapgarh) Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who has already distanced himself from the Samajwadi Party. He had also voted for President-elect Ram Nath Kovind. SP's Bukkal Nawab is a supporter of patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. There is speculation that they may all switch to the BJP.

"I was feeling suffocated in the party, so I decided to resign. I am impressed by the policies of Modiji and Yogiji. I strongly advocate the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya," said Nawab.

Yashwant Singh said, "It is better to stay away from the party. The leaders have not been able to sort out their family feud. I have dedicated and left my seat to Yogiji". The sharp attack by Yashwant Singh has given rise to speculations that CM Adityanath will take the Upper House route to the membership of the state legislature.

After the party's debacle in the recent assemby polls, the resignations come as a big jolt to SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who was trying to forge a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh with BSP Supremo Mayawati and the Congress.

Terming the resignations as BJP's 'political corruption', Akhilesh Yadav said he was informed that Amit Shah was making offers to his party legislators. "Amit Shah is trying to replication what he did in Bihar and Gujarat in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Mayawati said the BJP had used "unfair means" to grab power in Goa, Manipur and Bihar. "The BJP's craving for power has now turned into a lust for power. It is a dangerous sign for democracy. They can go to any extent to stay in power," she said.

BJP sources claimed that about half a dozen SP and BSP legislators may also quit in the days to come. With three vacancies in the Upper House, the party has the option of sending CM Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dr Dinesh Sharma to the UP Council, instead of contesting Assembly polls.

There are five ministers in the Yogi cabinet, including the CM and his two deputies, who are members of neither House. To remain ministers in the cabinet, they will be need to become members of either House within six months.

While Yogi is a Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur, Maurya was elected as MP from Phulpur. They need to quit their Lok Sabha seats within six months to become members of either house of the state legislature. With three vacancies in the UP Council after the resignations, they have the option to become members without contesting Assembly polls.

On the first day of his three-day Lucknow visit, the Shah held day-long deliberations with party office-bearers to get their feedback on the Yogi government's performance. He also discussed plans to strengthen the party organisational structure ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Later, he held a closed-door meeting with state ministers. He is learnt to have issued warning to a few who are showing laxity in implementing the party's 'Sankalp Patra', and not taking the party's development agenda to the people.

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