Political Shake-Up: Ritesh Pandey Jumps Ship From BSP To BJP After Meeting PM Modi, Mayawati Responds

Updated: Sunday, February 25, 2024, 15:28 [IST]

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over lunch in the Parliament canteen along with seven other Opposition MPs on multiple occasions, Ritesh Pandey announced his departure from the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP).

He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday.

Photo Credit: PTI

Ritesh Pandey Jumps Ship From BSP To BJP

Pandey, who represented Ambedkar Nagar in the Lok Sabha, was welcomed into the BJP by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and other party leaders, including Baijayant Jay Panda, Tarun Chugh, and Bhupendra Singh, among others.

BSP MP Ritesh Pandey joins BJP in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak and other BJP leaders.

Ritesh Pandey tendered his resignation from BSP earlier today. He was a Lok Sabha MP from Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/zfXDNshwQE
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2024

Pandey took to microblogging site X formerly Twitter, where he shared his resignation letter.

बहुजन समाज पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से त्यागपत्र pic.twitter.com/yUzVIBaDQ9
— Ritesh Pandey (@mpriteshpandey) February 25, 2024

Pandey's resignation from the party's primary membership was prompted by his perception that the party no longer required his services. He stated that he had not been called for any meetings nor had the party chief Mayawati spoken to him for an extended period. In his letter, Pandey expressed his efforts to reach out to Mayawati and the party's top leadership, which yielded no response.

During this period, Pandey continued to engage with workers and supporters of other parties in his constituency and participated in various local activities. Consequently, he concluded that the party did not require his service and presence. Feeling left with no other choice, Pandey decided to resign from the primary membership of the party, acknowledging the emotional difficulty of this decision. He further urged Mayawati to accept his resignation.

Mayawati's response to Ritesh's Jump

Following Pandey's claims, BSP chief Mayawati responded, stating that the BSP was a movement committed to the ideals of anti-Dalit icon BR Ambedkar. She emphasized that the party's ideology, operational methods, and candidate selection process differed from those of other capitalist parties.

3. ऐसे में अधिकतर लोकसभा सांसदों का टिकट दिया जाना क्या संभव, खासकर तब जब वे स्वंय अपने स्वार्थ में इधर-उधर भटकते नजर आ रहे हैं व निगेटिव चर्चा में हैं। मीडिया द्वारा यह सब कुछ जानने के बावजूद इसे पार्टी की कमजोरी के रूप में प्रचारित करना अनुचित। बीएसपी का पार्टी हित सर्वोपरि।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 25, 2024

In a veiled criticism directed at Pandey, she urged BSP MPs to reflect on whether they adequately served the people in their constituencies. Mayawati questioned if they committed enough to grassroots work. She further emphasized the importance of prioritizing the party's interests over personal agendas, hinting that Pandey's chances of receiving a BSP election ticket might have been jeopardized had he continued with his current approach.

It was truly an honour to be invited by the Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for lunch today and learn how he used his insights from the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. What an insightful discussion - thank you for having us over! pic.twitter.com/VozzubjZ5i
— Ritesh Pandey (@mpriteshpandey) February 9, 2024

Pandey's choice came shortly after his lunch meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he was accompanied by seven other Opposition MPs in the Parliament canteen. Taking to X, Pandey shared images of the gathering, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for the invitation and highlighting their discussion on utilizing lessons from the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With PTI Inputs)