Another jolt for BJP in UP as minister Dara Singh resigns
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New Delhi: In a huge blow to the BJP as it seeks re-election in India's most politically vital state, Uttar Pradesh minister Dara Singh Chauhan resigned from Yogi Adityanath's cabinet on Wednesday.
He is the second Uttar Pradesh minister to quit the post ahead of the assembly polls.
The state has been witnessing a flurry of exits with two of its ministers and four MLAs quitting so far and are set to join the Samajwadi Party of Akhilesh Yadav.
Chauhan resigned from the post on Wednesday alleging the neglect of the backward classes and dalits by the government.
"I worked with dedication but I am resigning as I am hurt by this government's oppressive attitude towards the backward, deprived sections, Dalits, farmers and unemployed youth and the neglect of quota for the backward and Dalits," Mr Chauhan wrote in his resignation letter.
Mr Chauhan, from eastern UP, was the minister for environment and forests in the Adityanath government and had joined the BJP in 2015, after years in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
He was made the head of the BJP's OBC Morcha - a plum post, and then a minister after he won the 2017 assembly election. When in BSP, Mr Chauhan was a Lok Sabha MP between 2009-14 and a Rajya Sabha MP in the late 90's..
On cue, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya put out a tweet urging Mr Chauhan to reconsider the move.
"If any family member strays, it is very sad. I can only appeal to the respected leaders who are going, please don't get on a sinking ship or it will be their loss. Big brother Dara Singh, please reconsider your decision," Keshav Maurya wrote.
The exits are blowing a hole in the BJP's OBC leadership before an election where the party's main challenger is Akhilesh Yadav and backward votes are critical.
Mr Chauhan is likely following the BSP-BJP-Samajwadi Party circuit like five others before him.
The resignations began on Tuesday with Swami Prasad Maurya delivering the first blow. Four MLAs followed - Roshan Lal Verma, Brijesh Prajapati, Bhagwati Sagar and Vinay Shakya.
In his resignation letter, Maurya too listed "negligent attitude towards Dalits, backward, farmers, unemployed youth, small and medium businessmen" as reasons behind his decision.