Uttar Pradesh minister Dharam Singh Saini on Thursday resigned from the BJP. Saini is the ninth MLA to cut ties with BJP days ahead of the state assembly polls.
Dharam Singh Saini is the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ayush, Food Security and Drug Administration.
The BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit has been witnessing a string of defections over the last few days, starting with cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya. At the time, Maurya had said that many more legislators would follow suit.
Over the following days, several other BJP MLAs Brajesh Prajapati, Roshan Lal Varma, Bhagwati Sagar, Mukesh Verma, Vinay Shakya, OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan among others, quit the party.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced seven-phase election to Uttar Pradesh assembly from February 10 to March 7.
The counting of votes will take place on March 10 along with other four states for which poll dates were announced.
The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases.