Expelled Samajwadi Party (SP) members Amar Singh and Jaya Prada on Monday joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in the presence of its chief Ajit Singh.
“We welcome them,” Mr. Ajit Singh said but did not say from which constituency they would contest the elections. In 2009, actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada contested on an SP ticket from Rampur, despite stiff resistance from senior SP leader Azam Khan, and won.
She and Mr. Amar Singh fell out with the party later and were expelled.
Mr. Amar Singh claimed he was not joining the RLD for electoral politics. He said despite his failing health, he undertook a padayatra along with Ms. Jaya Prada of eastern Uttar Pradesh and realised that there could be no development in U.P. without bifurcation of the State.
“Mr. Ajit Singh has always supported the formation of Harit Pradesh, which is very important. The kind of clarity that he has about the creation of States such as Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh is lacking in leaders of major political parties.”
Ms. Jaya Prada said Mr. Ajit Singh had always supported her and that she and Mr. Amar Singh would do everything to strengthen the party.
