Senior Samajwadi Party leader and close aide of Mulayam Singh, Ambika Chaudhary, on Saturday resigned from all party posts and joined arch rival Bahujan Samaj Party.
Mr. Chaudhary, who has been a minister under both Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav, was welcomed into the BSP by party national president Mayawati, in a rare gesture.
Ms. Mayawati declared that Mr. Chaudhary would contest the Assembly elections from his preferred seat in Ballia, Phephana. He had lost the elections from the seat in 2012. He was later elected an MLC and inducted into the cabinet as Minister for Backward Welfare.
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He was dropped last year by Mr. Akhilesh Yadav along with many others of the old guard considered close to Mr. Mulayam Singh’s brother, Shivpal Yadav.
A pawn in the battle between uncle and nephew, after Mr. Shivpal Yadav dethroned Mr. Akhilesh Yadav as State president, Mr. Chaudhary was nominated party spokesperson. However, once Mr. Akhilesh Yadav took over the party again, Mr. Chaudhary was in limbo.
Sources say, Mr. Chaudhary was not guaranteed a ticket for the forthcoming elections.
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Mr. Chaudhary attacked the SP for neglecting its “responsibility” as a political party to protect the interests of people and stop communal forces.
“The events over the last few months have proved to me that the entire motive of what happened was something other than shielding secular people and the downtrodden,” he said.
Attacking Mr. Akhilesh Yadav for disrespecting his father, Mr. Chaudhury said, “The way in which Akhilesh behaved with him, he was rejected...has been condemned and criticised by one and all. I am also saddened by it.”
He said he decided to shift to the BSP to help it in its “decisive fight” against the BJP.
Welcoming Mr. Chaudhary with a bouquet, a rare gesture from Ms. Mayawati, who usually deputes junior leaders to preside over the entry of outsiders, said she would shower Mr. Chaudhary with “more respect” that he got in the SP.
In her statement, Ms. Mayawati again targeted the Akhilesh Yadav government for the law and order situation and dubbed the Yadav scion a “tainted face”.
Interestingly, Ms. Mayawati was sympathetic to Mr. Shivpal Yadav, saying he had been “restricted to one seat” and “publicly insulted” to promote the image of Akhilesh Yadav. She also predicted that the Yadav bade of the SP would be split.
When a reporter asked her if she would take in Shivpal Yadav if he wished to join the BSP, Ms. Mayawati said, “Let him make the request first. I will consider it and let you know,” she said.
Though sources told The Hindu that other SP leaders were also in touch with Mr. Chaudhary, the former Minister said his move was “not part of a plan”.
“I did not try to discuss it at any level. It was my own decision,” he said.
His entry provides a psychological boost to the BSP in Purvanchal.