Swami Prasad Maurya resigns from Samajwadi Party, UP legislative council
Leader indicates his inclination towards becoming a part of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls
LUCKNOW A week after quitting the post of Samajwadi Party national general secretary, Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday resigned from the party’s primary membership and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, indicating his inclination towards becoming a part of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He held a press conference at his residence in Lucknow and attacked the Samajwadi Party, its chief Akhilesh Yadav and the BJP government in UP and at the centre. Reiterating that he would launch a political party at an event at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on Thursday, he said: “INDIA alliance is the need of the hour. I will join it or support it from outside...whatever seems suitable in the days to come.” Maurya also said he might join the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi.
Maurya had resigned as SP general secretary on February 13, accusing the leadership of discriminating against him and disowning his statements. He had been issuing controversial statements on Ramcharitmanas, Hinduism and Ayodhya temple consecration ceremony and the SP termed all such comments by him as “his personal opinions”.
In a letter to the chairman of the UP Legislative Council, Maurya stated:
“I was elected as a Samajwadi Party member in the legislative council. As I have resigned from the primary membership of the party, I am also resigning as MLC on the basis of morality.”
“I got an opportunity to work with you. But after our talks on February 12 and my resignation on February 13, no initiative of any talks with me was taken due to which I am resigning from the primary membership of the party,” Maurya stated in another letter addressed to Akhilesh Yadav.
Accusing Akhilesh Yadav of deviating from socialist ideology, he said: “I met the SP chief on February 12 and told him that some party leaders were undermining my position. Akhilesh ji did not show any signs of taking corrective measures. So, I resigned from the party’s post. As Akhilesh ji did not respond even to this, I have now resigned from the SP and my council membership.”
SP Maurya also said: “His (Akhilesh’s) secularism is exposed now. He also took wind out of PDA formula (by fielding two upper caste candidates for Rajya Sabha polls). Imagine, he performed puja of Bhagwan Shaligram (last week) at the party office, something that even the BJP never did...How someone will give direction to anyone who himself (Akhilesh) is directionless. How someone will show light to anyone who himself is living in dark.”
Maurya, who joined the SP in January 2022, left the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of that year’s assembly elections, held between February and March.
On Maurya’s resignations, SP leader and spokesperson, Anurag Bhadauria said: “There is no loss to the party by his exit. The SP has been running on socialist ideologies, not individual leadership. He came to the SP on his own, and he went on his own.” Another SP leader said: “It’s good riddance. He had been damaging the party by his statements”
