Defected BJP leaders, Bhim Army chief meet Akhilesh Yadav at Samajwadi Party office

Lucknow: The defected UP cabinet ministers Swami Prasad Maurya, Dharam Singh Saini along with about a dozen MLAs met Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav today at SP office located here on Vikramaditya Marg.

All the leaders were introduced to Akhilesh Yadav and they discussed the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. It is speculated that under the leadership of Swami Prasad Maurya, all the leaders will join the Samajwadi Party on Friday.

Swami Prasad Maurya while addressing the media persons said, "A formal meeting was held with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and I introduced my associates to him. The official announcement will be made tomorrow. We will make BJP shrink to 45 seats like it was before 2017."

Earlier on Thursday, Bhim Army president, young Dalit leader, Chandrashekhar Ravan reached Akhilesh Yadav's office to meet him. There are speculations that the Bhim Army will enter into an alliance with SP against the Bharatiya Janata party. Sources say that Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Omprakash Rajbhar, who made an alliance with the SP, is behind this meeting.

Chandrashekhar Ravan was also involved in the Sankalp Bhagidari Front and many other parties were also associated with Omprakash Rajbhar, but later Omprakash Rajbhar and many other smaller parties have entered into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

The political experts say that if the Bhim Army also joins Samajwadi Party alliance, then the Samajwadi Party can get a big benefit from it in western Uttar Pradesh as the hold and penetration of the Bhim Army is increasing very fast among Dalit society.