UP: Former Etawah MP Raghuraj Shakya, SP’s Ram Sevak Patel join BJP fold

LUCKNOW: Leaders from various political parties, including ex-MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya and SP leader and four-time MLA Ram Sevak Singh Patel, joined BJP on Monday.
Shakya, 53, a former Lok Sabha member is from Etawah, and was associated with Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L), founded by Shivpal Yadav, uncle of SP president Akhilesh Yadav.
Patel is a four-time MLA from Bara assembly constituency in Prayagraj and was associated with the Samajwadi Party before joining BJP.
“I am highly impressed with the social welfare schemes run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and by Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh. I will dedicate my life in the interest of the nation,” Patel announced on social media platforms.
Other prominent leaders who joined BJP included Shiv Shankar Singh (Shankari Singh) from Samajwadi Party and former MLA from Bachhrawan Ram Lal Akela (SP).
The induction of the two leaders into BJP became possible due to the efforts of Rajeshwar Singh, former joint director of the Enforcement Directorate, who is the party candidate from Lucknow’s Sarojininagar seat.
Shiv Shankar Singh had contested assembly elections in 2012 and 2017 as a BSP candidate from Sarojininagar seat. In 2017, he had joined the BJP.
Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma said with SS Singh and Ram Lal Akela joining the BJP fold, the party would emerge stronger on the Sarojininagar seat.