Expelledl BSP neta Kesar Singh joins BJP, Nawabgunj throws up fierce battle

BAREILLY: Former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Kesar Singh Gangwar, on Sunday, announced that he has formally joined the BJP and a decision regarding this has been taken at the state level. The announcement came even as BSP supremo Mayawati staged a massive rally at Saharanpur on the same day. Kesar was earlier expelled from BSP on charges of anti-party activities.
Singh was a BSP MLC from Bareilly-Rampur seat.According to sources, he was unhappy over naming of Virendra Singh Gangwar as BSP’s candidate from Nawabgunj constituency following which he had held talks with the BJP for a ticket from Nawabgunj. This was, however, turned down after BJP’s local cadre protested against the development.
Speaking to TOI, Singh claimed that rebel BSP MLA Swami Prasad Maurya, who also joined the BJP recently, had sent out a list of 117 people, including MLAs, former MLAs, district panchayat chairpersons and a former minister of cabinet rank, who had rallied behind him. “BJP state president Keshav Prasad Maurya then assured that all these people will be brought into BJP’s fold after a report about them is had from the local party cadre,” he said.
Meanwhile, the local BJP unit maintained that they were unaware about this development. “We cannot verify it since the decision was not taken at the district level. We have not been informed about Singh’s induction into the party by the state leadership,” said Ravindra Singh Rathore, district president, BJP.
Refuting claims that the local BJP unit had reservations about his joining the party, Singh said that some candidates earlier saw him as a threat in securing tickets for the upcoming assembly elections.
BJP leader MP Arya, an aspirant for Nawabgunj seat, said, “The party will select a dedicated candidate instead of someone who switches loyalties after being denied a ticket.”
The Nawabganj seat throws up a fierce electoral battle between Gangwar leaders with Virendra Singh Gangwar, from BSP, on one side and the current MLA Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, from SP, on the other.