Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh, some senior leaders of other parties including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Madhuri Verma and former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Rakesh Pandey joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday, taking forward the defection ahead of the next few months of assembly elections.
Briefing reporters in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party (SP) National President and former CM Akhilesh Yadav said, "I very much welcome former MP Rakesh Pandey Ji who joined the SP. I am happy that along with him, a large number of his colleagues have joined the SP today. Madhuri Verma Ji, MLA from the BJP, has also joined the SP today, she is also warmly welcomed.''
MLA Verma is the current BJP MLA from Nanpara seat in Bahraich district while Rakesh Pandey is the father of BSP MP Ritesh Pandey from Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seat. Ritesh is also the leader of the BSP parliamentary party in Lok sabha. Earlier, the SP posted a picture of Akhilesh with Rakesh Pandey on social media saying that senior BSP leader and former Ambedkar Nagar MP Rakesh Pandey Ji joined the SP along with his supporters expressing faith under the leadership of the national president.
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