In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a major setback. Former Member of Parliament Dharmendra Kashyap has officially severed ties with the saffron party and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP). He took the primary membership of the SP after holding a closed-door meeting with party supremo Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow.
Political circles are abuzz with speculations that Kashyap might field his daughter in the upcoming assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. During his meeting with Akhilesh Yadav, senior party leaders, including former MP Veerpal Singh Yadav and district president Shublesh Yadav, were also present, signaling a well-calculated political move.
The Cryptic 'Tata Bye-Bye' Post That Sparked Rumors
Speculations about Kashyap's exit had been rife ever since the BJP released its list of Rajya Sabha candidates. Overlooking his candidature apparently miffed the leader, who subsequently posted a cryptic 'Tata Bye-Bye' message on social media without naming the party directly. However, the intent was loud and clear to political observers.
Dharmendra Kashyap had earlier won the parliamentary elections on a BJP ticket in 2014 and 2019, though he faced defeat in the 2024 general elections. Being left out of key organizational considerations recently accelerated his departure from the ruling dispensation.
Strengthening the PDA Formula
The induction is being viewed as part of Samajwadi Party's ongoing efforts to consolidate its PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) strategy in the state. With elections approaching, defections of this nature are bound to impact local arithmetic across several constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
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States & Regional Bureau, The Freelance
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