BJP’s UP MP Sanghamitra Maurya quits party

Akhilesh Tripathi

Sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Badaun Sanghamitra Maurya on Wednesday announced that she was quitting the party following attack on the team of workers canvassing for her father’s election in Fazilnagar constituency of Uttar Pradesh.

Maurya’s father Swami Prasad Maurya is contesting Assembly election from Fazilnagar on Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket. Swami Prasad Maurya who was a minister in Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet had quit the BJP and resigned from her cabinet early in January accusing the party of doing nothing for the OBCs.

Sanghamitra was upset on hearing the news of attack on her father’s supporters while canvassing in the constituency on March 1 (Tuesday).

It is said rival BJP candidate Surendra Kushwaha’s men stoned the SP rallyists when the two teams came face to face while engaged in road shows. The attack took place at the Khalwapatti village.

The arguments that ensued between supporters from the rival parties led to full-scale attack by lathis and stones from the BJP side who had reportedly come prepared for the confrontation.

Several cars following the supporters of Maurya were damaged in the attack. However, Mr. Maurya who was travelling in a car different from the one which is conventionally used by him, remained unhurt. Maurya’s supporters have accused the BJP supporters to have planned the attack as the route was clearly marked by the Election Commission to be used by the SP at the designated hour.

The commission does not allow two rival parties to use the same route at a specific time, it is stated. Sanghamitra Maurya who was present in the Kushinagar region, immediately reached the spot in Fazilnagar and declared that the attack was a planned one by BJP workers.

She said the Yogi government’s promise of a riot-free Uttar Pradesh gets falsified by the way supporters of BJP attacked her father’s convoy. She immediately announced her quitting the party and vowed to see that the BJP is defeated in the Assembly elections.