In a big setback for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Mukesh Verma, its MLA from Shikohabad (Firozabad), has resigned from the primary membership of the party.

After resigning from BJP, Verma called Swami Prasad Maurya his leader and said that many more MLAs will desert the saffron party in the coming days.

“Swami Prasad Maurya is our leader. We will support whatever decision he takes. Many other leaders will join us in the coming days,” ANI quoted Verma as saying.

Further lashing out at BJP, Verma said they waited for five years but their concerns were not heard by the party. 

“We waited for five years but we were not listened to, the interest of the downtrodden and backward was not talked about in the party, so even after imposing the code of conduct, when we realised that when there will be no talk, we have taken this decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Bidhuna Auraiya Vinay Shakya has also resigned from the party. His name was already among the list of BJP rebel MLAs exiting along with SP Maurya.0

“Swami Prasad Maurya is the voice of the downtrodden and he is our leader. I am with him,” Shakya wrote in his resignation letter.

Resignations in BJP ahead of Assembly polls

This comes days after OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state cabinet and three other MLAs announced they are quitting the BJP.

Tindwari MLA Brajesh Prajapati, Tilhar’s Roshan Lal Varma, and Bilhaur’s Bhagwati Sagar announced that they are leaving the BJP in Maurya’s support, amid speculation that others could follow them.

The much-awaited assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10, while the last phase of polling will be conducted on March 7. The main contest is seen between the ruling BJP and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP).