New Delhi: Three members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) in Uttar Pradesh had resigned on Saturday saying they have dedicated their seats to Yogi Ji. Bukkal Nawab and Yashwant Singh from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Thakur Jaiveer Singh from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had quit their seats, making way for three ministers of the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet. Five members of the State Cabinet, including Adityanath himself, are not members of either House at present.
According to a report by Indian Express, minutes after the two SP MLCs submitted their resignations to Legislative Council Chairman Ramesh Yadav in the morning, the BSP MLC met Yadav and handed over his resignation. Sources said the trio may formally join the BJP soon. “Maine apni seat Yogiji ke liye samarpit kar di hai (I have dedicated my seat to Yogiji),” said Yashwant Singh.
Singh said, he had resigned over Akhilesh’s remark in the House on China. Akhilesh was reported to have said that India was not in a position to take on China.
“I am deeply pained by the anti-national and pro-China statement that Akhilesh made in the House on Wednesday. Before taking any decision, I waited for Akhilesh to give an explanation in the House, but he did not turn up on Friday. I am a disciple of late Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, and I could not compromise with the issue of the nation. I will be with India, not China,” he said.
While appreciating Adityanath, Nawab said he had been “feeling suffocated” in the SP for the last one year. However, Jaiveer Singh, who was accompanied by former BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya at the time of handing in his resignation, could not be contacted. He was earlier the BJP’s district secretary in Aligarh, before joining the BSP.
Legislative Council Chairman Ramesh Yadav accepted the MLCs’ resignations and notified that the seats had fallen vacant. While the SP MLCs’ terms were ending on July 7, 2022, the BSP MLC’s term was ending in May 2018. According to sources, Adityanath and Maurya are likely to contest Assembly elections.