Uttar Pradesh: Ahead of the by-polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath govt received a major lurch after the MoS Labour department, Swami Prasad Maurya announced his resignation from the post. In his letter, he expressed disappointment on the attempts of the state govt to side-line Dalits and weaker sections of society. “Despite a divergent ideology, I worked with dedication in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet. But because of the grave oppression of Dalits, OBCs, farmers, unemployed and small businessmen, I am resigning,” Maurya wrote in the resignation letter.
Welcoming Maurya’s decision to swap sides, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted his photograph confirming that the former state labour minister would join his party.
Maurya, a powerful OBC leader had joined BJP in 2016, after quitting Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party. He represented the Padrauna constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
This resignation by the minister brings about a jolt in the party as several MLAs under Muarya also left the party. As the filing of nomination for the first phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh polls is set to begin from January 14, the party is yet to decide its probable candidates. Polls will be held in 58 seats in the first phase on February 10 and in 55 in the second phase on February 14.