Lucknow: Within 24 hours of walking out of the Bahujan Samaj Party, senior leader Swami Prasad Maurya did a turnaround and mounted a blistering attack on the Samajwadi Party and the BJP, claiming that both the parties engineered riots to polarise votes.
It was earlier said that Mr Maurya would join the Samajwadi Party and even chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had welcomed his decision to quit the BSP on Thursday. However, keeping his options open, Mr Maurya left for Delhi on Friday, reportedly to meet some top BJP and BSP leaders.
Sources close to Mr Maurya said that he apparently changed his mind after a number of former BSP leaders and sitting party legislators contacted him.
“He has been getting overwhelming support from disgruntled leaders in the BSP and has now convened a meeting of leaders and his supporters on July 1. Chances are that he may announce a new party that will be pro-dalit and pro-OBC. A number of former BSP leaders have been calling him and may also join the new outfit,” said a close aide of the former BSP leader.
Swami Prasad Maurya also admitted that a number of leaders and legislators from the BSP were feeling “suffocated” and had been in touch with him. Before leaving for Delhi, he said there were chances that they would join him, sooner than later.
Mr Maurya, by convening the meeting on July 1, wants to display his strength among OBCs and dalits before negotiating with any party.
