Lucknow: Former BSP leaders Lalji Verma and Ramachal Rajbhar announced on Monday that they will formally join the Samajwadi Party at a rally in Ambedkar Nagar district on November 7 in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Rajbhar is the MLA from Akbarpur and Verma from Katehari constituency in Ambedkar Nagar district.
They were expelled from the BSP on June 3 on the charge of indulging in anti-party activities during the panchayat election earlier this year.
Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh are slated for early next year.
Once considered close to BSP chief Mayawati, the two leaders had served as cabinet ministers during the BSP regime in the state.
Before their expulsion, Verma was the state president of the party and Rajbhar the BSP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly.
"I was in BSP for 25 years and Rajbhar was there for 35 years. We both were dedicated BSP workers and were expelled on June 3," Verma told reporters at a press conference at the SP headquarters here in the presence of Yadav.
"We are here to invite Akhilesh ji for 'Satta Parivartan Janadesh' rally in Ambedkar Nagar on November 7 wherein we, along with our supporters, will formally join SP," he said.
He said that people were fed up with the BJP's misrule and that the SP is the only alternative in the state.
Yadav said the number of people joining his party is increasing every day.
PTI
