Shahid Siddiqui joins BSP in big blow to SP

New Delhi, Jul 19 (UNI) In a surprise development that has come as a major shock to the Samajwadi Party, its General Secretary and Member in the Rajya Sabha Shahid Siddique today announced that he was joining the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Ms Mayawati.

''I am opposed to the nuclear deal and the support of the SP for it. I have been feeling suffocated in my party for the last one month. The deal was neither in the interest of Muslims nor of the nation. I express full faith in the leadership of Ms Mayawati,'' Mr Siddiqui told mediapersons after a meeting with the BSP chief.

He claimed that several Lok Sabha SP Members were also opposed to the deal and would come out against it by the time voting on the trust motion took place.

Ms Mayawati said she welcomed Mr Siddiqui in the BSP fold.

Earlier, Mr Siddiqui drove up to the BSP chief's residence here this afternoon when she was holding a meeting with TDP chief Chandra Babu Naidu.

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