Lucknow: Hours after resigning from the party, former BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya today met senior Samajwadi Party leaders Shivpal Yadav and Azam Khan, sparking rumours that he may join the ruling party.
Speaking to India TV, Maurya said that he will soon meet his followers and then announce next course of action.
“I will very soon meet my followers to discuss about the next step. I will announce my decision after meeting them,” he said.
Sources said that Maurya is in close touch with Shivpal Singh Yadav and Azam Khan, giving rise to rumours that he was cosying up with the ruling party in the state.
The speculations grew only stronger when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hinted Maurya's inclusion in the Samajwadi Party. "I won't comment on it (Balram Yadav's sacking from cabinet) because a decision has been taken. Even the bigger decision is that Maurya ji has come after leaving BSP," Yadav said.
If reports are to be believed, Maurya will join Samajwadi Party ahead of June 27 expansion of Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet and could even find a berth in the government.
Yadav is all set to expand his ministry on June 27 in perhaps the last reshuffle of his Council of Ministers ahead of the Assembly election in early 2017.
Sources said that Maurya could be accommodated as there are four vacancies in the council of ministers. The other names doing the rounds are- Ravidas Mehrotra, Sharda Prasad Shukla, Shakir Ali and Narad Rai.
Speaking to media, Shivpal Singh Yadav praised Maurya and hinted that he may be inducted into the party.
“He is a good person. And whatever he is saying (about BJP) is correct… the doors of Samajwadi Party are always open for good people,” he said.
When Azam Khan was asked about his meeting with Maurya, the Muslim face of SP said, “He is a good human… and as a politician I respect him. Also inside the Assembly, his conduct was always good… I want him to join the party.”
Earlier in the day, during his interaction with media, Maurya said that Dr BR Ambedkar dedicated his life for the sake of ensuring rights to the Dalits and BSP founder Kashiram too spent his life to strengthen the party and give the Dalits their rightful place in the society. “But Mayawati deviated from their principles and stooped to the level of not only selling party tickets, but auctioning them to the highest bidder."
"I feel suffocated and cannot continue in the party any more. Tickets are being openly auctioned by Mayawati on a large scale. She is not making the right choice of candidates. Tickets are not only on sale in the party, they are being auctioned," 62-year-old Maurya, who represents Padrauna Assembly constituency, said.
A national vice-president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Maurya's resignation is widely seen as a major blow to the Dalit party which is aiming to return to power in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
