SP's Naresh Agarwal rubbishes reports of defecting to BJP

Miffed with reports about leaving the Samajwadi Party, Agarwal told media persons that his aim 'is to finish BJP'

Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal on Monday rubbished the reports that he would be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Agarwal told news agency ANI that he stands by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and dubbed the reports as 'baseless'.

I am not going anywhere, I am with Akhilesh Yadav: Senior SP leader Naresh Agarwal to ANI

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 23, 2017

News of me joining BJP is baseless, I am with Akhilesh and my aim is to finish BJP in Uttar Pradesh: Naresh Agarwal,SP

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 23, 2017

ANI had earlier reported that Agarwal would join the BJP on Monday.

Senior SP leader Naresh Agarwal to join BJP today, sources say.

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 23, 2017

Naresh Agrawal has been an MLA for seven terms from Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi constituency. He has been in the Samajwadi Party since 1989, before which he was with the Congress party. Agrawal is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

The Samajwadi Party announced their alliance with the Congress for the upcoming UP polls on Sunday evening. The SP would be fielding 298 candidates while the Congress would contest elections in 105 seats in the poll bound state.

OneIndia News