LUCKNOW: A prominent woman MLA of Samajwadi Party (SP), who had previous encounters with slain gangster Atiq Ahmad, is likely to join BJP soon, highly places sources said Sunday without naming her. She belongs to the other backward class (OBC), which BJP is actively trying to woo ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
This comes less than a fortnight after former SP legislator Dara Singh Chauhan joined BJP. He belongs to the Nonia sub-caste within the most backward castes.
Sources said the SP MLA has been in constant communication with the BJP leadership over the past few days, and there are indications she might vacate her seat like Dara Singh before officially joining the party. There's speculation that BJP might field her as a Lok Sabha candidate from the Prayagraj region next year.
The MLA is reportedly dissatisfied with the lenient approach of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav towards Atiq who along with his brother Ashraf was killed in Prayagraj in April.
Before joining SP, the MLA was associated with BSP and had successfully contested UP assembly elections since 2007 from a seat in Prayagraj. However, after losing that seat to BJP in 2017, she decided to switch to SP and won from another seat in the region during the 2022 assembly polls.
BJP has been actively courting the OBC community, and this particular MLA is said to be popular among a section of the backward caste in and around the Prayagraj region, a senior BJP leader said.
"The final decision on her induction will soon be taken by the party high command," according to a senior leader.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.