Shock for Yogi, third minister quits

Lucknow: OBC leader Dharam Singh Saini on Thursday became the third minister to resign from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet this week, giving yet another jolt to the ruling BJP in the run-up to the assembly polls.

Hours before Saini’s resignation, Shikohabad MLA Mukesh Verma announced that he is leaving the BJP.

Most of the eight MLAs, including the ministers, who have declared they are quitting during the last three days are from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and appear to be headed towards Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.

“He is a very good leader who has real concern for the people. He is the messiah of Dalits and the backwards. We made a BJP government in 2017 and will make his government in 2022,” Saini said after a meeting with Yadav that lasted over an hour and a half.

Like the other two ministers Saini did not categorically declare that he is joining that party, after confirming that he has quit the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.