BJP loses its third minister in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh minister Dharam Singh Saini resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, handing the ruling party yet another defeat. Dharam Singh Saini, who served as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, Food Security, and Drug Administration, is thought to be a close ally of Swami Prasad Maurya, who left the BJP earlier this week.

Over the last few days, the BJP'sUttar Pradesh minister Dharam Singh Saini resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, handing the ruling party yet another defeat. Uttar Pradesh wing has seen a series of defections, beginning with cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya. Maurya had predicted that many more legislators would follow suit at the time.

In the poll-bound state of Uttar Pradesh, this is the third minister to resign in a matter of days. So far, nine BJP MLAs in Uttar Pradesh have resigned from the party ahead of the 2022 Assembly election.

He cited "gross neglect" of Dalits, backward, farmers, unemployed young, and small traders as the reason for his resignation. Several more BJP MLAs, including, Roshan Lal Varma, Brajesh Prajapati, Bhagwati Sagar, Vinay Shakya, and Mukesh Verma departed the party in the days that followed.

Dharam Singh Saini's resignation comes as the BJP Central Election Committee finalizes the list of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh elections.

Dara Singh Chauhan, an OBC leader, resigned from Yogi Adityanath's government on Wednesday and appeared to be on his way to the Samajwadi Party. Chauhan claimed that he had worked tirelessly for the past five years, but that the BJP government had failed to provide justice to Dalits, OBCs, and the unemployed.

Om Prakash Rajbhar, the leader of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), had claimed that one to two ministers will resign from Yogi Adityanath's cabinet every day, with the number rising to 18 by January 20. For the 2022 assembly elections, Rajbhar has formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

The Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be contested in seven stages. The polls will open on February 10th, and the results will be counted on March 10th.