'BJP Wickets Falling': Akhilesh Yadav, as Swami Prasad Maurya and Others Join SP

Swami Prasad Maurya's leaving of the BJP has triggered a slew of exits from the party's Uttar Pradesh unit.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Lucknow, on Friday, 14 June. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was present at the ceremony marking their induction.

Five other BJP MLAs – Roshanlal Verma, Brijesh Prajapti, Mukesh Verma, Vinay Shakya, and Bhagwati Sagar – also joined the SP on Friday.

The development is being viewed as a major boost for the SP ahead of the UP Assembly polls.

Visuals that emerged from the event showed a large gathering of supporters, with little consideration for COVID-19 protocols amid rising cases.

"BJP wickets falling one after the other, although our CM does not know how to play cricket. As Swami Prasad Maurya said wherever he goes, the government is formed, even this time he brought a huge number of leaders along with him," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was quoted as saying at the function.

Maurya had resigned from his position as a minister in Yogi Adityanath-led Cabinet on Tuesday. Maurya's leaving of the BJP had triggered a slew of exits, including that of ministers Saini and Dara Singh Chauhan.

An Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, Maurya in his resignation letter said that he had resigned due to the "gross negligence meted out to Dalits, backward classes, farmers, unemployed youth, and small and middle-class businessmen in the state."

Won't Field Candidate Against Unnao Rape Victim's Mother: Samajwadi Party

SP President Akhilesh Yadav announced on Friday that the SP will not field a candidate against Congress's Sadar Jafar, who is the mother of the victim of the 2017 Unnao rape case.

Yadav said that the candidacy of Jafar had "full support" of the SP.

UP Assembly elections, which will take place in seven phases beginning 10 February, will see parties contesting for 403 Assembly constituencies.