Beni hints at SKD's merger with BSP

Lucknow, Feb 1 (UNI) Suspended Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha member and president of the Samajwadi Kranti Dal(SKD) Beni Prasad Verma today did not rule out his party merging with the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh though his first choice is the Congress.

''My first priority is to go with the Congress but joining the BSP cannot be ruled out at this juncture'', he said.

Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Verma, who canvassed for the Congress in the last assembly polls in the state, said that certain senior leaders of the BSP had already contacted him and talks were underway.

However, the leader refused to name the BSP leaders who had met him. Earlier Mr Verma had announced to resign from the Lok Sabha and contest the bypolls on Congress ticket but when Congress refused to give him a nomination, he postponed his resignation.

Mr Verma criticised the Cogress for attacking the Mayawati on Dalit issue and said that it will boomerang in the state as the party which was fighting to regain its lost glory, could lose more of its vote share in future.

However, on the other hand, the SKD president said that the recommendation of CBI probe into the BJP's CD case could be an effort to delay the ongoing investigation into the case.'' When the chargesheet was ready, then it should have been submitted in the court to extend the investigation further'', he added.

Commenting on the arrest of expelled SP LS member Atiq Ahmed in Delhi yesterday, he said the Phoolpur MP was not ready to surrender before the UP police or STF, hence he was picked up by the Delhi police.

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