Neeraj Shekhar joins BJP, says country safe under Modi, Shah

On Tuesday, Shekhar joined the BJP at a function attended by the party’s general secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Anil Jain and its media head Anil Baluni.

Later speaking to the press, Shekhar said it was becoming difficult for him to continue working in the Samajwadi Party. “The support the Prime Minister received in the general election convinced me that if I have to work in the national interest, then I should work under him and Amit Shah. The country is convinced that it is safe under them,” he said.

It was becoming difficult for him to continue working in the Samajwadi Party, he told reporters, without elaborating.

Addressing the media, Yadav praised Chandra Shekhar, a socialist leader who won from Ballia eight times, making the constituency his pocket borough, and recalled his contribution to the country. The BJP leader described Neeraj as the heir to his legacy.

Though Chandra Shekhar was not in SP, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had never fielded any candidate against him from Ballia.

A Thakur by caste, Neeraj Shekhar’s presence in the BJP is likely to help the party in parts of eastern UP, where his family continues to enjoy influence.

BJP sources said the party is likely nominate him as its candidate for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.