Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member in UP Legislative Council Ramchandra Singh Pradhan Sunday participated in the Run for Unity that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust organised in Lucknow on Sunday to garner support for the Statue of Unity project mooted by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Pradhan also praised the effort of Modi for organising such an event to pay tribute to Patel. When inquired,BSP state president Ram Achal Rajbhar said party chief Mayawati may initiate action in this matter on Monday when she meets senior party leaders in Delhi. Rajbhar said that it was not appropriate for the BSP MLC to attend the event. Pradhan along with over half-a-dozen supporters reached near the Patel statue in Hazratganj and participated in the run,which was finished at Shaheed Smarak. Pradhans presence in the event was surprising for the gathering,but not for BJP leaders who claim that the BSP MLC is planning to join the saffron party. Talking to The Indian Express,Pradhan said,Run for Unity was not an event of BJP only. It was organised for the cause of unity and integrity of the nation. I participated in the run as it was for paying tribute to Sardar Patel who united several provinces to make one nation. Pradhan also said that everyone should praise the efforts of Modi who did a noble work by organising the event. While Pradhan denied plans to join BJP,sources said that his wife Anita Pradhan is making efforts to get BJP ticket for Unnao Lok Sabha constituency,where BSP has already fielded partys Rajya Sabha member Brijesh Pathak. Hoardings as well as billboards of Anita Pradhan with photographs of Modi were erected in Unnao district ahead of Gujarat CMs Kanpur rally on October 19. The message on the hoardings and billboards was Modi lana hai,desh bachana hai. Pradhan too had met BJP national general secretary Amit Shah and state president Laxmikant Bajpai at partys state headquarters in Lucknow on October 4. Sources said he had met BJP leaders seeking entry in BJP. But,Pradhan had claimed it was purely personal. Meanwhile,in Lucknow,BJP national general secretary Murlidhar Rao flagged off the run this morning. Addressing the media persons,Rao claimed that more than 5,000 people participated in the event in Lucknow. Party claimed participation of more than 1.5 lakh people in the run across the state.
