New Delhi: In another significant political move ahead of the general election, Lok Sabha Member Ritesh Pandey has joined the BJP after leaving the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party today. The 42-year-old is the representative for Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar parliamentary seat. Rakesh Pandey, his father, is an MLA for the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Addressing the media after joining BJP, Mr Pandey said he was inspired by Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a developed India and had joined the BJP to work towards this goal.
Mr. Pandey Shared on X this morning the resignation letter he had written to Mayawati, the former chief minister and leader of the BSP. In the letter, he expresses gratitude to her for allowing him to speak for the party in the Lok Sabha. “Thanks to BSP, I had your advice from the moment I went public. As I learned how to navigate the halls of power, the party’s grassroots organizers helped me out,” the letter States
बहुजन समाज पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से त्यागपत्र pic.twitter.com/yUzVIBaDQ9
— Ritesh Pandey (मोदी का परिवार) (@mpriteshpandey) February 25, 2024
After that, it discusses the big issue. “I haven’t received meeting invitations in a long time. Nor do I participate in conversations about leadership. I have made multiple unsuccessful attempts to meet with you and other senior leaders. I have concluded that my presence and services are no longer required by the party. There is nothing else I can do but give up my primary membership in the party. It’s an emotionally taxing decision to cut off ties with the party, he said.
Mr Pandey was in touch with BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal. As per reports, the BJP has offered to field him from the seat he currently represents.
BSP chief Mayawati posted a thread on X shortly after Mr. Pandey announced his resignation, which is interpreted as a response to the MP’s allegations. She claimed that the BSP was a “movement” dedicated to BR Ambedkar’s anti-Dalit legacy. “That’s why this party’s ideology, functioning and selection of candidates is different from other capitalist parties,” she said.
In a swipe at the departing MP, she said the party’s MPs must introspect if they looked after the people in their constituency and gave them time. “They must also introspect if they followed the party’s directions,” she said.
“Is it possible to give tickets to Lok Sabha MPs when they roamed around for their selfish goals and remained a part of negative discussions? The party’s interests are paramount,” she said, indicating that Mr Pandey may not have got a BSP poll ticket if he stayed on.
After winning the election as an MP in 2019, Mr. Pandey, alumnus of the European Business School in London, became well-known in parliament for outlining his party’s position on various types of issues. It’s interesting to note that he left the BSP a few weeks after eating lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament canteen alongside a number of other opposition MPs.
In addition, Mr. Pandey shared pictures from the lunch meeting. “To hear how Prime Minister @narendramodi ji applied his lessons from the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake to address the COVID-19 pandemic was a true honor, as I was invited to lunch with him today. “What a thought-provoking conversation – I thank you having us over!” he had said.
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