Three BSP leaders, one BJP leader join SP in UP

Ahead of upcoming assembly polls, three BSP leaders, including MLA Vinay Shankar Tiwari, former MP Kushal Tiwari and Ganesh Shankar Pandey, joined the Samajwadi Party on Sunday in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav. While the two Tiwaris are sons of former minister Hari Shankar Tiwari and Ganesh Shankar Pandey is his nephew. Hari Shankar Tiwari is an erstwhile mafia don and one of the tallest Brahmin leaders of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Ganesh Shankar Pandey was also the former chairperson of the UP Legislative Council. Digvijay Narain Chaubey, a BJP MLA from Sant Kabir Nagar, also joined the SP on Sunday.

With the three joiners, the SP would benefit from Brahmin support as Thakur-Brahmin hostilities are more pronounced in the region. There is no stopping the Samajwadis from forming the new government now, said Akhilesh, while welcoming the leaders into his party.

"People have seen through the lies being spoken by the ruling party and they stand completely exposed. The joining of these leaders will further strengthen the party and also prove that people have faith in us," he said.