Suspended BSP MLA defects to Samajwadi Party

Defections have become the order of the day in Uttar Pradesh. And on Saturday suspended ruling Bahujan Samajwadi Party member of Legislative Assembly Guddu Pandit switched loyalties to the Samajwadi Party. 

While seven SP MLAs crossed over to BSP between Thursday and Friday, one BSP MLA moved to SP on Wednesday.

A notorious criminal-turned-politician Pandit had been denied a BSP ticket for the next state assembly election slated early 2012 because of his continued involvement in unlawful activities.

Both SP state president Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who was also the leader of opposition in the state assembly, were finding it difficult to justify Pandit's induction into their party considering they often asserted that they were against criminalisation of politics. "Well, Guddu Pandit has told us that the criminal cases registered against him were politically motivated and the charges levellged were baseless," claimed the two SP chieftains at a press conference where his induction was made public.

Pandit has as many as 15 cases of pending against him in his home district Bulandshahr Ram Nagar, from where he represents the Dibai state assembly seat.

Reacting sharply to the move, Uttar Padesh Chief Minister and BSP President Mayawati said, "We had already suspended Guddu Pandit after he refused to mend his ways. We had also denied a party ticket to him for the next assembly election."

As if to justify his entry into BSP, she added, "Pandit had been given a place in the party on the condition that he would reform himself and refrain from indulging in criminal activities, but he failed to keep his word. We suspended him after he was held guilty of kidnapping a candidate in the panchayat elections."

Accusing the SP of being a "haven for outlaws and criminals", she quipped, "I think Pandit has now found his natural home, as SP already has a huge pack of criminals on its roll."