Setback for Samajwadi Party as two more MLCs resign from council

Two more Samajwadi Party lawmakers, Ashok Bajpai and Ambika Chowdhary, tendered their resignations from the legislative council on Wednesday taking the total number of MLCs who have quit SP so far to five.

Ambika Chowdhary is an SP turncoat who joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after he was sacked by Akhilesh Yadav after taking over the party’s rein in January this year.

However, Chowdhary technically continued to be an SP MLC as the party did not move an application for his disqualification lest it created a vacancy for the BJP.

“I have no intention of joining the BJP. Morally, I should have resigned earlier but I waited lest I was accused of paving way for the BJP,” Chowdhary told HT.

“Now that five vacancies are already there in the legislative council, which the BJP needs to accommodate its ministers, I decided to put in my papers,” he said.

SP MLC Ashok Bajpai attributed his resignation to the disregard shown to Mulayam Singh Yadav in the party.

“I could no longer bear the manner in which Mulayam Singh Yadav has been sidelined in a party which he had himself set up,” Bajpai said after handing over his resignation to the vice chairman of the legislative council.

Bajpai, whose term as an MLC was to expire on January 30, 2021, is expected to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon.

Sources said at least two more SP MLCs are planning to quit.

With Bajpai’s resignation, SP’s strength in the legislative council has come down to 59 from 64.

Reacting to the exodus of SP lawmakers, party national president Akhilesh Yadav had on Monday said those who wanted to leave the party were free to do so but they should not concoct excuses.

Those who have quit the SP are known to be close Mulayam aides and were unhappy over the state of affairs.