Jugal Kishore cosying up with BJP bigwigs

LUCKNOW: Amidst reports and claims by several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders that several Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs were in touch with them, BSP’s rebel Rajya Sabha member Jugal Kishore is likely to switch loyalty to BJP. Kishore, who recently termed Mayawati “daulat ki beti” had a meeting with senior BJP leader Om Mathur, party’s UP in charge who is known for his proximity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While talking to TOI, Mathur confirmed that Jugal Kishore had met him two days back in New Delhi. “Haan woh mile the, par kal nahin…ek do din pehle,” replied Mathur to a question on whether the BSP MP had met him a day before.
Jugal Kishore is believed to have also met a few state BJP leaders who advised him to contact leaders in New Delhi, a BJP insider told TOI, adding that Kishore had also promised support of several MLAs with him.
Taking Kishore into the party fold could benefit the party, which is working hard to woo the Dalit vote bank for the Vidhan Sabha election in 2017. Kishore has been in BSP ever since it was founded in 1984.
Like Kishore, former BSP MP Akhilesh Das too had charged Mayawati with selling tickets. Speculations are on that even Akhilesh Das is trying to join BJP, though there has been no confirmation.
News of Kishore holding meeting with BJP leaders comes at a time when Muzaffarnagar riot accused BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som is claiming 125 MLAs are ready to switch loyalty to topple the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party government in the state.
A senior BJP leader requesting anonymity told TOI that his party will comfortably accommodate winning MLAs and leaders from other parties at least in 100 constituencies where the BJP has never opened its account.
Decision on Kishore would take some time, a senior BJP leader told TOI.