Top leaders from Congress, BSP, BJP & 2 factions join SP in Akhilesh Yadav's presence

In a big boost to the Samajwadi Party, scores of top leaders from BSP, BJP, Apna Dal, Congress and two political factions joined the party on Friday. Sharing photos of the new members who joined SP in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi party welcomed them. Top new joinees include Apna Dal national vice president Omkar Singh, BJP President Backward Classes wing Arun Kumar Maurya and several ex-MLAs from BSP and Congress. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi Adityanath rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022.

SP welcomes new joinees from BJP, BSP, Apna Dal

The new joinees are:

• Jan Parivartan Dal was merged into Samajwadi Party by JP Dhangar, National President
• Bablu Sen, leader of Gautam Buddha Nagar BSP along with his colleagues
• Former MP Rizwan Zaheer and his daughter Jeba Rizwan
• Kinnar Ekta Sangh national president along with thousands of his colleagues
• Ram Prakash Kushwaha - Former MLA Ghatampur (BSP)
• Rita Kushwaha, former district president of BSP
• Bundelkhand Vinod Chaturvedi - Former MLA of Congress and many of his associates
• Manoj Tiwari from Mahoba (Congress)
• Rahul Bharti, Dalit Mahasabha President merged his entire party with SP
• Congress' Sagar Sharma and 15 of his comrades
• Apna Dal National Vice President Omkar Singh
• Arun Kumar Maurya - President Backward Classes wing, Bharatiya Janata Party

As the poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh catches speed, Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal Yadav - Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia)'s founder - has given his nephew time till October 11 to decide on an alliance. Moreover, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is also in talks with Shivpal Yadav over a possible alliance. Sources have told Republic TV that the SP chief and Shivpal Yadav will share the stage for the celebration of Mulayam Singh Yadav's birthday on November 22 paving the way for reconciliation.

UP Polls 2022

With BJP fighting under the leadership of incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath, several fronts have cropped up to challenge the ruling BJP. While Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj has allied with AIMIM, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party; parties like AAP, Shiv Sena, Azad Samaj Party and JDU have announced that they will be contesting for the UP polls. SP chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav has stated that SP will only ally with smaller political parties for the 2022 Assembly polls, holding talks with Mahan Dal, NCP. Mayawati has already announced that her party will fight polls alone in UP and Uttarakhand, while allying only with Akali Dal in Punjab.  Congress has aggressively campaigned under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi in the state, eyeing its solo return.