Former aide of Yogi Adityanath joins SP

One time confidante of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and former president of Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit formed by the CM, Sunil Singh on Saturday joined the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Singh, who was considered very close to Adityanath before being expelled a few months before the last year's Lok Sabha polls, also merged his breakaway faction of the Vahini with the SP.

Singh, who hailed from Gorakhpur, the home town of the chief minister, was shown the door after he had criticised the BJP for fielding turncoats in the LS polls and ignoring loyal workers.

He had also filed nomination to contest LS polls from Gorakhpur seat but his papers were rejected on technical grounds.

The Yogi government had arrested him after he was expelled in connection with criminal cases registered against him in the past. The stringent National Security Act (NSA) was also slapped on him.

Dubbing the BJP as a 'communal' and 'opportunistic' party, Singh, who hailed from the influential 'thakur' community, said that the saffron party would not return to power in the next assembly polls in the state due in two year's time.