Cadres again warn Mistry about party-hoppers

The local leaders told Mistry that Ajit Kumar ‘Raju Yadav’,who was given the party ticket to contest from Gunnaur Assembly seat in Badaun district and in whose support Rahul Gandhi had addressed a rally,had joined the Samajwadi Party two weeks back.

“His background is known in the district. We had warned the leaders before 2012 elections but no one listened. He came,took money from the Congress to contest election,never interacted with Congressmen and then left the party following assurances from the SP. People like us have been serving the Congress for 30 years but have been pushed to the sidelines by such people who ultimately leave the party,” said Onkar Singh,officiating district Congress president of Badaun.

Ajit is well known in Gunnaur because after winning the 2002 Assembly election on a JD(U) ticket,he had vacated his seat for SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav so that he could contest the by-election after becoming chief minister in 2003. As a reward,Ajit was made minister of state for primary education.

In the 2012 Assembly election from Gunnaur,Ajit lost to SP candidate Ramkhiladi Singh Yadav by 40,000 votes.

Local leaders said that like Ajit,others were planning to leave the party and were busy bargaining with the BSP or SP. They requested Mistry that party-hoppers be discouraged from contesting polls. Mistry reportedly assured them that for the Lok Sabha elections,tickets would be finalised after hearing recommendations of the cadre from the block,district and state level.

After holding meetings in Bareilly,Mistry left for Delhi in the evening. He will be back to inaugurate the zonal office in Noida on July 18.