MP Savitri Bai Phule, SP leader Rakesh Sachan join Congress

With the BJP MP joining Congress, the latter has got a strong Dalit grassroots leader for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, who is vocal and has the capacity to hold rallies on her own and gather decent crowd in the areas surrounding Bahraich.

Speaking to The Sunday Express after joining Congress, Phule said, “I have been elected as a Member of Parliament because of the Constitution formulated by Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar. But that Constitution is under threat under BJP regime. BJP wants to do away with reservation and I believe that if anyone can stop BJP at the national level, it has to be the Congress and not the smaller parties. This is why I decided to join the Congress.”

She also said that because of “Dalit-virodhi (anti-Dalit)” and “picchara varg virodhi (anti-backward caste)” policies of the BJP, people have decided to throw the BJP out of power.

The Congress is looking towards smaller parties and individual leaders of significance in Western and Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

During her four-day visit to Lucknow last month, BJP MLA Avtar Singh Bhadana had joined Congress in presence of Priyanka.

Meanwhile, the former MP from Fatehpur, Sachan, who also joined Congress, wanted to contest from the same seat again but in SP-BSP alliance, the seat has gone to BSP. Sources said that ever since Sachan was searching for options.