Maurya, in his resignation letter, said that he has resigned from the membership of the Legislative Council on moral grounds….reports Asian Lite News
Almost a week after stepping down from the position of the Samajwadi Party’s national general secretary, Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the party membership and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council on Tuesday.
Maurya, in his resignation letters, one addressed to the Chairman of the State Legislative Council and another to the Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav, said that he has resigned from the membership of the Legislative Council on moral grounds.
“I have been elected as a member of the Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh from the Assembly, Uttar Pradesh constituency, as a candidate of the Samajwadi Party. Since I have resigned from the primary membership of the Samajwadi Party, hence on the basis of morality, I am also resigning from the membership of the Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh. Please kindly accept,” he said in a letter to the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
In his letter to Akhilesh Yadav, Swami Prasad Maurya said, “Got the opportunity to work in a cordial environment under your leadership. But as a result of not taking the initiative of any kind of talks on the talks held on February 12, 2024, and the letter sent on February 13, 2024, I am also resigning from the primary membership of the Samajwadi Party.”
Both letters were shared by Maurya on his X account.
This came after Swami Prasad Maurya stepped down as national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party on February 13. Swami Prasad Maurya, in his resignation letter to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said that he would keep working to fortify the party even in the absence of a position.
Maurya is scheduled to launch his own political outfit the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party on February 22 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi, sources said.
The rift between Akhilesh Yadav and Swami Prasad Maurya widened when the Samajwadi Party Chief said that he (Swami Prasad Maurya) had come to SP for benefits.
“Everyone comes to take benefits, but who stays on the spot? Who will tell what is on someone’s mind? Not only this, Akhilesh Yadav said that there is no such machine that can know what is going on in someone’s mind. Everyone leaves after taking the benefits.” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said.
Hitting out at Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s “benefit” remark, Swami Prasad Maurya on Monday said, “He is not in power in the state or the centre. He is not in a condition to give anything. And I will return everything he has given to me till now. Ideology is important to me, not the position. The rights and welfare of all sections are my priority, whenever that would be attacked I would raise my voice.”
When asked about the speculation of forming a new party, Swami Prasad Maurya said, “I have left everything up to the party workers. Whatever they want would be acceptable to me.”
Samajwadi Party national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya, joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP in January 2022, leaving the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of that year’s assembly elections, held between February and March has been repeatedly making headlines for his provocative comments on sensitive issues including Ramcharitmanas to Sanatan Dharma and Hindu religion.
Maurya had kicked up a controversy when he cited text from Ramcharitmanas to describe it as derogatory to women, Dalits and tribals. His comments on Sanatan Dharma had also kicked up a row. (ANI)
SP Releases Third List of Candidates for LS Polls
The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday announced its third list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, with five names.
Senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav will contest the Badaun seat while Iqra Hasan is the candidate for the Kairana seat.
The Bareilly seat candidate is Praveen Singh Aron and Ajendra Singh Rajput will contest the Hamirpur seat.
Surendra Singh Patel will be the SP candidate on the Varanasi seat.
The Samajwadi Party has also appointed in charge for Lok Sabha seats. Dharmendra Yadav is in charge of Azamgarh and Kannauj seats, Manoj Chaudhary is in charge of Baghpat seat, while Mehboob Ali and Ram Avtar Saini are in charge of Amroha seat.
Meanwhile, SP’s efforts to break the ice with former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya and ensure his support for SP in the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections, seems to have been an exercise in futility.
Raja Bhaiya, according to sources, is in no mood to switch loyalties from BJP to SP.
Raja Bhaiya, who shared a warm rapport with late Mulayam Singh Yadav, has had a tumultuous relationship with Akhilesh Yadav.
A minister in the Akhilesh government, Raja Bhaiya had resigned in 2013 after his name figured in the murder of a DSP in his constituency. After the CBI gave him a clean chit, Mulayam Singh Yadav ensured that Raja Bhaiya was brought back into the ministry.
However, he finally snapped ties with Akhilesh when the latter allied with BSP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Raja Bhaiya’s animosity with BSP leader Mayawati is known across Uttar Pradesh. In 2002, when the BSP was in power in the state, Mayawati had jailed him under Prevention of Terrorist Act (POTA).
In 2003, when Mulayam Singh came to power, all charges against Raja Bhaiya were dropped and he was made a cabinet minister in the SP government in 2005.
The 2022 assembly polls witnessed a war of words between Akhilesh and Raja Bhaiya when the SP president asked “Who Raja Bhaiya?”
On Tuesday evening, Samajwadi state president Naresh Uttam called on Raja Bhaiya to seek his support for the Rajya Sabha polls. He even persuaded Raja Bhaiya to speak to Akhilesh on phone and the latter asked him to let bygones be bygones.
Raja Bhaiya confirmed that the meeting had taken place but refused to comment further.
“The SP state president visited me but I am not in a position to say anything more than this about the meeting,” he said.
Sources close to Raja Bhaiya said that the latter would not forget the way the SP had targeted him during the 2022 assembly polls by fielding his own former acolyte, Gulshan Yadav, against him.
“Moreover, Raja Bhaiya shares a good relationship with Yogi Adityanath and will not do anything that will spoil their relations,” said a source close to the former minister.
Raja Bhaiyya heads the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik that has two members in the state assembly.
Polling for the Rajya Sabha is due on February 27 and both, BJP and SP are facing the threat of cross voting. The eighth BJP candidate Sanjay Seth is short of eight votes while the SP also needs outside support to ensure the victory of its third candidate.
ALSO READ: Political instability aggravates Pakistan’s economy crisis
