TheBJP was left red-faced after one of its legislators, Rakesh Rathore, an MLA from Sitapur Sadar Assembly seat, met Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav amid speculations that he could soon leave the saffron party and join the SP.
The SP leaders later claimed that as many as eight BJP legislators were in touch with them and could soon quit the BJP.
Rathore, who had been quite vocal in his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government over the latter's alleged mismanagement of the second wave of Covid-19 in the state, refused to elaborate on his meeting with Akhilesh but sources close to him said that he was planning to join the SP.
"It was a courtesy call...I am prepared to make every sacrifice for my community...I will do whatever they tell me," Rathore, who hailed from the 'Sahu' community, told reporters when queried about the meeting.
SP sources claimed that eight BJP MLAs had contacted the party and had sought assembly nominations. "We have not given them any assurance...it is up to the party to decide who will be fielded from where," said a senior SP leader here on Monday.
BJP, however, sought to make light of the meeting saying that they were not 'uncommon' in politics. "We have no information about the meeting...Rathore is very much in the BJP," said a senior UP BJP leader here.
Several BJP lawmakers had earlier expressed resentment over chief minister Yogi Adityanath's style of working and there were demands that he be replaced. The BJP central leadership, however, made it clear that Adityanath would be the party's face in UP.
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Published 13 September 2021, 11:09 IST