Ahead of next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit vice-president Gayadeen Anuragi joined the Samajwadi Party on Friday and alleged that his voice was not being heard in the grand old party.
He joined the Samajwadi Party in the presence of its national president Akhilesh Yadav here.
The problem of senior leaders choosing to part ways continues to vex the Congress despite its General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's earnest effort to gear up the party for the polls. She completed her five-day visit to the state on Friday to review the party's poll preparedness.
Earlier, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi, the great-grandson of late Congress stalwart Kamalapati Tripathi, bid adieu to the party. This came a few months after ex-Union minister Jitin Prasada, the son of former Congress leader Jitendra Prasad, crossed over to the BJP.
When asked about his joining in SP, Anuragi, a former MLA from Rath in Hamirpur, claimed that he was not feeling comfortable in the Congress as he was not heard.
On the occasion, Jan Parivartan Dal president J.P. Dhangarh announced the merger of his party with the Samajwadi Party.
Prominent among those who joined the SP included National President of Dali Mahasabha Rahul Bhartiya, former MP from Balrampur and three-time MLA Rizwan Zaheer, and former legislators R.P. Kushwaha and Vinod Chaturvedi among others.
Gondwana Gantantra Party's national president Tuleshwar Singh also announced support to the SP.
On the occasion, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said all sections of the society are joining his party and making it strong.
