8 of 28 UP Congress MLA’s jumped the ship still Akhilesh terms Rahul “Good Boy”

Lucknow: With Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Uttar Pradesh since September 6, a sitting legislator of Congress Mukesh Srivastava today joined the ruling Samajwadi Party at Chief Minister Akhikesh Yadav's residence today. This is the eighth Congress MLA of the total 28 in the state assembly to join another party within a month time.

Mr Yadav, who was laying the foundation stone of a Urdu gate in Deoband in Saharanpur district, along with inaugurating six small government hospitals, said Mr Mukesh Srivastava of the Congress has joined the party. The Congress MLA from Payagpur assembly segment in Bahriach district was also sitting on the dais. Earlier, Mr Yadav had announced that if SP opens its gate then several legislators from other parties would join it.

Later, talking to UNI, he alleged that Congress is a spent force which was now controlled by a manager Prashant Kishor. "All efforts by Rahul Gandhi would be waste till he removes Prashant Kishor as he and his team members are insulting the senior Congress leaders daily," he alleged. Mr Srivastava and his family, including his brother were involved in the NRHM scam unearthed during the previous Mayawati regime and even CBI had raided his house several times and his brother was arrested. However, another Congress MLA Mavai Ali, who was also present in the function, ruled out joining the SP.

Mr Ali is the Congress MLA from Deoband. "I have come here just to attend the programme of the Urdu Gate, which is being constructed in my assembly segment," he said. But UP Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, who was also present, said party is ready to take Mavai Ali at any time.

Rahul is a good boy too: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in a tit-for-tit today called Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi a ''good boy''. "Rahul Gandhi is also a good boy and if he continues to come to UP then we can be friends. There should be no objection to anyone if good people meet,'' Mr Yadav commented while refusing that his statement has nothing to do with politics or the coming assembly elections.

The Chief Minister's reaction comes in the wake of Mr Gandhi's comment on Mr Yadav here some days back when he called him a good person. Talking to reporters after the state cabinet meeting here, Mr Yadav said, "Had the khaats been looted after a Samajwadi Party programme, then the entire media would have said that the criminals and goons of SP had done it."

Meanwhile, UP Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan condemned the BJP for demanding his resignation. "I don't expect anything better from them. First, they should tell why they killed Bapu. They don't trust the Constitution and were dreaming of a united India," he told reporters while admitting that his popularity will grow much by such reactions by the BJP. (UNI)