Denied BJP tickets, Bulandshahr MLA-brothers to join RLD

Both the brothers, during last MLC elections reportedly defied the Samajwadi Party whip and were accused of cross-voting in favour of BJP nominee and were expelled from SP.

Bulandshahr, Jan 19: Denied BJP tickets for the Assembly polls, MLA-brothers Bhagwan Sharma Mukesh Pandit, who were earlier expelled from SP, on Thursday said they will join Rashtriya Lok Dal.

They accused former chief minister Kalyan Singh of blocking their propositions of fighting elections on the saffron party tickets.

An emotional Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit, and his younger brother Mukesh, told a press conference at their home they are going to join Rashtriya Lok Dal and contest from Anoopshahr and Shikarpur Assembly constituencies of Bulandshahr respectively.

Guddu Pandit had defeated Rajveer Singh, son of ex-CM Kalyan Singh, from Debai assembly segment in 2007 and 2012 on BSP and SP tickets respectively. Mukesh Pandit entered politics arena in 2012 and elected MLA from Shikarpur segment here on SP ticket.

Both the brothers, during last MLC elections reportedly defied the Samajwadi Party whip and were accused of cross-voting in favour of BJP nominee and were expelled from SP. They were taken in BJP and promised party ticket in 2017 by BJP which ultimately did not come.

PTI