MP Malook Nagar Quits BSP: Miffed Over Denial Of Ticket, Veteran Leader Quits Mayawati's Party

Pained over the denial of ticket for the upcoming Assembly polls, senior BSP leader Malook Nagar resigned from the primary membership of the party. Nagar, a prominent figure in Uttar Pradesh politics, has cited various reasons for his decision to part ways with the BSP, including purported differences in ideologies and dissatisfaction with the party's leadership. On his resignation from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Lok Sabha MP Malook Nagar said, "I kept silent all these days. The party didn't let me contest for MP or MLA and even my name was absent from the list of star campaigners, but I want to work for the country and hence I have to leave the party under this compulsion and will look for some other home. After having discussions with my followers and different parties, wherever things will work, will go there."

On whether or not he will be contesting Lok Sabha elections, he says, "It's not in my hand, otherwise I would have contested... Politics is a game of possibilities." The Bahujan Samaj Party last week  released the names of 12 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Mayawati-led party fielded Nand Kishore Pundir from Ghaziabad and Sarwar Malik from Lucknow. The BSP has so far declared its candidates for 37 out of 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh. BSP candidate Suresh Singh will be facing off against sitting BJP MP and actor Hema Malini in Mathura. Meanwhile, Sarvar Malik has been pitted against sitting BJP MP Rajnath Singh and Ravidas Mehrotra of Samajwadi Party.

The BSP politician had unsuccessfully contested 2022 assembly elections from Lucknow North seat. His wife Shaheen Bano had unsuccessfully contested the mayoral election in Lucknow in 2023.Election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha will take place on June 4.