In a surprising turn of events, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Member of Parliament, Ritesh Pandey, announced his resignation from the party’s primary membership on Sunday. Pandey, who has represented the Ambedkar Nagar constituency since 2019, cited a lack of communication and involvement from the party leadership as the primary reasons for his decision. Notably, he expressed disappointment in not being called for any party meetings and mentioned that the BSP leadership, including Mayawati, had not engaged with him in a considerable period.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Pandey shared his resignation letter addressed to BSP chief Mayawati. In the letter, he stated, “For a long time, neither am I being called to attend party meetings nor has the party leadership spoken to me.” Pandey emphasized his attempts to reach out to Mayawati and the top party leadership, expressing regret that his efforts did not yield any result.
Highlighting his commitment to public service, Pandey revealed in the letter, “During this time, I continuously met workers and supporters of other parties in my area and was also involved in various works going on in the constituency. Hence, I have come to the conclusion that the party does not need my service and presence.”
The resignation letter concluded with a poignant note, “The decision to break the relationship with the party is a difficult decision from the emotional point of view.”
Shortly after tendering his resignation, Ritesh Pandey made a high-profile move by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi. This development comes just days after Pandey, along with seven other opposition MPs, had a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament canteen. Pandey had expressed gratitude for the invitation, describing it as an honor to learn from PM Modi’s experiences, particularly drawing insights from the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ritesh Pandey, who defeated his BJP rival Mukut Bihari in the 2019 general elections, has been an active and prominent figure in parliamentary affairs. He served as an MLA from the Jalalpur constituency between June 2017 to May 2019 and was appointed as the leader of BSP in the Lok Sabha in January 2020.
Having participated in various parliamentary committees, including the Standing Committee on External Affairs and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, Pandey has gained recognition. Notably, he ranked 19th in the Parliamentary Business Survey among 539 MPs in the country, making him the youngest MP to feature in the Top 20.
Pandey’s sudden resignation and subsequent switch to the BJP have sent shockwaves through the political landscape, raising questions about the internal dynamics within the BSP and the potential impact on the political scenario in Ambedkar Nagar.
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