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Pandey’s resignation was promptly followed by his formal induction into the BJP in New Delhi, with senior leaders, including national general secretary Tarun Chugh, present at the event.
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Member of Parliament from Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency, Ritesh Pandey, tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party on Sunday.
The move comes alongside speculation of Pandey joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Pandey’s resignation was promptly followed by his formal induction into the BJP in New Delhi, with senior leaders, including national general secretary Tarun Chugh, present at the event.
Upon joining the BJP, Pandey expressed his commitment to ensuring the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secures more than 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In his resignation letter addressed to BSP supremo Mayawati, Pandey cited neglect and a lack of communication from the party leadership as the reasons for his departure.
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Shared his resignation letter on ‘X’, Ritesh said, “For a long time, neither am I being called to attend party meetings nor has the party leadership spoken to me. I made numerous efforts to get in touch with and meet you (Mayawati) and the top leadership of the party but it did not yield any result,” Ritesh Pandey wrote in the resignation letter.
FLASH: BSP MP Ritesh Pandey officially joined the BJP today, in the presence of UP Dept. CM Brajesh Pathak and other prominent leaders.
Pandey had earlier tendered his resignation from BSP, where he served as a Lok Sabha MP representing Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.… pic.twitter.com/DDfjnWIxty
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) February 25, 2024
However, he lamented that he had not been included in party meetings or engaged in a leadership capacity for an extended period. “I have reached a conclusion that the party does not need my service and presence anymore. Therefore, I have no option other than resigning from the primary membership of the party,” Pandey stated in his letter.
This move comes on the heels of the lunch meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ten days ago, where Pandey dined with seven opposition MPs in the Parliament canteen.
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Sharing the pictures, he had highlighted the honor of being invited by PM Modi, citing an insightful discussion on how the Prime Minister applied insights from the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake to address the COVID-19 pandemic. “What an insightful discussion – thank you for having us over!”, he wrote on ‘X’. This interaction fueled speculation about his imminent shift to the BJP.
His swift induction into the BJP aligns with the party’s strategy in bolstering its presence in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati, responding to Pandey’s resignation, emphasised the need for BSP MPs to evaluate their dedication to the people and adherence to party guidelines. She questioned whether the MPs prioritised their constituencies and followed party directives.
In a post on ‘X’ in Hindi, she asserted the importance of the party’s interests and labeled media coverage as unfair for portraying the development as a weakness.
