UP Election 2022: Round-the-clock quit rumours keep defection-hit BJP on edge

LUCKNOW: Grappling with defections of MLAs, BJP has another peculiar situation at hand with rumour mills on an overdrive about more resignations in the offing, keeping the saffron party on tenterhooks on eve of elections.
On Friday, a fake resignation letter of BJP’s Domariyaganj MLA Raghavendra Pratap Singh, who is state in-charge of Hindu Yuva Vahini and considered close to CM Yogi Adityanath went viral on social media.Addressed to UP BJP chief, the letter alleged neglect of Brahmins, Dalits and backwards. Singh, however, termed the viral letter on social media “fake and conspiracy of SP”.
Again, after UP minister turned rebel Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state cabinet, a resignation letter by Bhadohi MLA Ravindra Nath Tripathi hit the social media circuit. Taken aback, Tripathi immediately came up with a video statement terming it a mischief by anti-social elements who used a fake letterhead and forged signatures to come up with “bogus resignation”. Tripathi later lodged a complaint with police. “I am and will be with BJP...Jai Sri Ram, Jai Parshuram...,” he stated.
When Dara Singh Chauhan resigned from the cabinet the next day, rumours about UP minister and Kaiserganj MLA Mukut Bihari Verma’s resignation began doing the rounds.
An old guard of BJP, Verma, a Kurmi, too was quick to junk rumours, saying “his body and soul were Hindu” and he would die a BJP worker. Verma joined RSS in 1962 when he was just 17 years old. He has since been working in various capacities in the Sangh. He was also nagar karyawah of RSS in Bahraich. He made his electoral debut from Kaiserganj in 1996, but lost to SP’s Ram Tej Yadav by a slender margin of 234 votes. He won the seat for the first time in 2002 assembly elections, defeating Ghulam Moil of BSP. He lost the seat in 2007, but won in 2012 and then again in 2017 assembly polls.
He said, the party has given him a lot and would always abide by high command’s directives. Verma got an FIR registered against “unknown” persons. BJP sources said, such rumours are attempts by detractors to dent party’s poll prospects. “Dedicated party worker will never ditch the party. Those with individual interests are giving up membership,” said UP BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi.