Dhara Singh Chauhan, 3rd UP Minister To Quit BJP, Joins Samajwadi Party

Lucknow: Dhara SIngh one of the nearly dozen ex-BJP joined Samajwadi Party. The exits include three ministers.

“In 2017, the BJP government gave a slogan of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’. The party took support from everyone but only few people got the benefits of development,” he said.

“We will change politics of UP and make Akhilesh Yadav Chief Minister again. People belonging to OBC and Dalit communities will come together… a change is inevitable,” he added.

Apna Dal MLA RK Verma, whose party is allied with the BJP, also joined the Samajwadi Party today.

“I welcome Dara Singh Chauhan, RK Verma. This (the 2022 election) is a fight with the double engine government in Delhi and Lucknow (a reference to the BJP in power at centre and state). They have only done ‘politics of breaking’. We will focus on ‘politics of development’,” Mr Yadav said.

“I welcome Dara Singh Chauhan, RK Verma. This (the 2022 election) is a fight with the double engine government in Delhi and Lucknow (a reference to the BJP in power at centre and state). They have only done ‘politics of breaking’. We will focus on ‘politics of development’,” Mr Yadav said.

Mr Chauhan is possibly the last major opposition leader to be signed by Mr Yadav, who has snapped up all three of the ministers who quit, after he said yesterday. “

For Mr Yadav, a former UP Chief Minister seen as the BJP’s main rival for this election, the acquisition of these OBC leaders is a big boost as he looks to replicate its 2017 formula.

Last year, another influential OBC face and a former BJP ally, Omprakash Rajbhar and his Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, crossed over to the Samajwadi Party.

Yesterday the BJP said Chief Minister Adityanath would contest from Gorakhpur. Mr Yadav has not confirmed if he will stand for election;