Another SP MLA quits party, joins BSP

Lucknow, June 11 (UNI) In yet another setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, one more party MLA today resigned from the legislative assembly and joined the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Vijay Kumar Singh, a two-time MLA, today handed in his resignation to Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar. The resignation was accepted immediately.

Singh also resigned from the membership of SP. UP minister and BSP general secretary Nasimuddin Siddique told reporters that Singh's application to join the primary membership of BSP has been accepted.

Singh was convicted by a lower court in the murder of BJP legislator Brahmadutt Tiwari in 1997. But following a High Court stay, he fought the 2002 assembly elections as an Independent. He successfully fought the just-concluded assembly elections on a SP ticket from Farookhabad (sadar) seat.

He claimed that he was ''impressed'' by the ideology of the BSP in the past one month, hence he was joining that party.

Singh is the second SP MLA to join BSP. On May 23, Nawab Kazim Ali had resigned as a SP MLA (Suar Tanda seat) to join the BSP.

With Singh's resignation, the SP's strength in the assembly has dipped to 94. SP had won 97 seats.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav vacated the Gunnaur seat after he won from Gunnaur and Bharthana seats.

UNI