Uttar Pradesh: Senior BSP neta quits, eyes return to Samajwadi Party fold

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) witnessed another exit of a senior member with former minister Ambika Chaudhary resigning from the party on Saturday, hours after his son was handed over a ticket by Samajwadi Party to contest zila panchayat chairperson elections.
Chaudhary, who has been minister in at least two SP governments under Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, joined BSP ahead of 2017 assembly elections amidst a feud in the Yadav first family. His resignation, said sources, is a signal of his imminent return to the SP fold. In his resignation letter to BSP chief Mayawati, Chaudhary said, he wasn’t assigned work after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and he was feeling redundant. His decision was also guided by his son’s move to contest panchayat chairperson seat on SP ticket and did not want his commitment to BSP questioned or accused of conflict of interest, he added.
“Since I joined BSP ahead of 2017 assembly elections, I have been a dedicated worker. I fulfilled big and small responsibilities given to me. After 2019 Lok Sabha elections, for reasons unknown to me, I have not been given any responsibility and this made me feel marginalised,” he said.
A senior BSP member said, Chaudhary had contested 2017 assembly polls on a BSP ticket and wanted to contest Lok Sabha polls too, but due to the alliance with SP, he did not get his favoured seat. Subsequently, he was involved in elections in Chhattisgarh.
“His resignation can only mean that he wants to return to SP, since his son has been given a ticket,” he said. Mayawati had expelled two senior party members, MLA Lalji Verma and former state president Ram Achal Rajbhar on June 3 .