In a fresh blow to the Samajwadi Party, its founding member and MLC from Varanasi, Shatrudh Prakash defected to BJP on F
In a fresh blow to the Samajwadi Party, its founding member and MLC from Varanasi, Shatrudh Prakash defected to BJP on Friday. Prakash’s tenure in the upper house was due to expire on July 6, 2022.
Prakash, who joined the saffron outfit in the presence of UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh at the party headquarters, said that he always did anti-Congress politics from the beginning. He also lauded the Yogi Adityanath government for stamping out mafia and criminals from east UP.
Swatantra Dev Singh said that the coming of Prakash in the BJP camp will give further strength to the party. Prakash represented Varanasi Cantt assembly seat four times -- in 1974 (socialist party), 1977 (Janata Party), 1985 (Lok Dal) and then again in 1989.
Shatrudh’s defection in BJP camp could presumptively arm the saffron brigade to send out a strong political message further tightening its grip on Varanasi. His switch over to BJP coincided with the 35th death anniversary of Janata Party leader Raj Narain who won in a famous electoral malpractice case against Indira Gandhi, which led to her disqualification and imposition of Emergency in India in 1975.
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