Former Uttar Pradesh minister Dara Singh Chauhan, who had previously resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the state assembly elections in 2022, made headlines again as he resigned from the assembly on 15th July 2023. Chauhan has expressed his intention to join the BJP, marking a significant political shift.
Dara Singh Chauhan was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly from the Ghosi seat in Mau. However, he has now stepped down from his position. Chauhan formally submitted his resignation letter to Speaker Satish Mahana, as confirmed by Uttar Pradesh Assembly Principal Secretary Pradeep Dubey.
In his resignation letter, Chauhan stated, “I, Dara Singh Chauhan, currently a member of the Legislative Assembly representing 354-Ghosi in Mau district, hereby tender my resignation from the membership of the Legislative Assembly.”
भाजपा छोड़ सपा में आये दारा सिंह चौहान ने सपा से दिया इस्तीफ़ा। pic.twitter.com/3HXl2JyZbT
— SANJAY TRIPATHI (@sanjayjourno) July 15, 2023
Speculation had been rife in recent days regarding Chauhan’s potential move to the BJP. It’s noteworthy that he had previously served as the forest minister in the BJP government before joining the Samajwadi Party prior to the elections.
Dara Singh Chauhan’s resignation is being perceived as a setback for the Samajwadi Party. Notably, Chauhan began his political journey with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and was a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1996 and 2000. Furthermore, he secured victory in the Lok Sabha election from Ghosi on a BSP ticket in 2009. There are speculations that he might contest Lok Sabha elections again from Ghosi, this time on a BJP ticket.
Regarding Chauhan’s resignation, Samajwadi Party spokesperson IP Singh remarked, “Dara Singh Chauhan had expressed his desire to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ghosi in Mau and had been in contact with the BJP for months. The Samajwadi Party demands by-elections for the 354-Ghosi assembly seat and the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat. Although the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat is vacant, the BJP appears reluctant to contest, resulting in the postponement of the election.”
