Samajwadi Party's mayoral candidate from Shahjahanpur, Archana Verma on Sunday joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.
Welcoming Verma into the party fold, Pathak said, "The Samajwadi Party (SP) had declared Archana Verma as its mayoral candidate from Shahjahanpur in the upcoming urban local bodies elections. However, she was finding it difficult to associate herself with the party (SP).
"She was pained by the atrocities committed on women during the SP regime. When the SP declared her as its (mayoral) candidate, she decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the call of nationalism given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that those who want to work in a dedicated manner for Mother India, and establish a stronger rule of law in UP, should join the saffron party," he said.
Pathak said Verma's father-in-law Ram Murti Singh Verma was a four-time MLA (thrice from the Jalalabad assembly constituency of Shahjahanpur, and once from the Dadraul constituency). He was also a one-time MP of Shahjahanpur (1996), the minister said.
Shahjahanpur will vote in the second phase on May 11. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.
State ministers Suresh Khanna and J P S Rathore were also present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, media co-in charge of the UP BJP, Abhay Singh said senior party leaders will flag off the party's 'Vikas rath yatra' on Monday from different cities of the state as part of campaigning for the ongoing urban local body election.
Voting for the urban local body polls is scheduled for May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.
The election would be held for 17 seats of the mayor, 1,420 seats of corporator, 199 seats of nagar palika parishad chairperson, 5,327 of nagar palika parishad member, 544 of nagar panchayat chairperson and 7,178 seats of nagar panchayat member.
The politically crucial northern state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.