91 BSP leaders join SP

Lucknow, Sep 21 : As many as 91 rebel Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders, led by senior politician Indrajeet Saroj, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday.

Saroj told reporters that he quit the BSP as there was no freedom to speak in the Mayawati-led party while there is respect for everyone in the SP.

Calling SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav a "leader with a progressive mind", he said he and his supporters will now work for the SP and ensure its comeback to power.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was present at the induction ceremony at the party headquarters here, welcomed them into the party fold, saying he had opened the doors of his party for all like-minded people.

"All the leaders are senior and have worked at the grassroots level for the betterment and welfare of Dalits and the weaker sections of the society and the SP will get strengthened by their entry," he said.

He also took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, saying that its six months have been a big disappointment for the people of the state as the Yogi Adityanath regime has no achievements to show.