Samajwadi Party MLA resigns as chief whip amid Rajya Sabha elections
Manoj Kumar Pandey's resignation comes a day after Pandey and 7 other SP MLAs skipped a party meeting convened by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav
 "Samajwadi Party MLA resigns as chief whip amid Rajya Sabha elections")
Manoj Kumar Pandey, an MLA and leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has tendered his resignation as the party's Chief Whip in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Pandey's resignation comes amidst the ongoing voting for the Rajya Sabha polls in the state and a day after eight SP MLAs, including Pandey, abstained from a meeting convened by party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
In his resignation letter addressed to Yadav, Pandey wrote, "I want to inform you that you appointed me as the 'Chief Whip' of the SP's Legislative Party at the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Therefore, I am resigning from the post of 'Chief Whip.' Please kindly accept it."
The timing of Pandey's resignation coincides with the Rajya Sabha polls in which both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and SP have fielded candidates. Media reports speculate that Pandey may have resigned in order to vote for the BJP.
According to a report by ABP, BJP MLA Daya Shankar Singh visited Pandey's residence on Tuesday, reportedly to garner support for the BJP candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls. Singh's visit included discussions with Pandey and a phone conversation with BJP leader and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh have a total of 10 seats up for grabs. While the BJP has nominated eight candidates, the SP has put forward three contenders. The results of the polls are expected to be announced by the end of the day.
Among the BJP candidates are former Union minister RPN Singh, ex-MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, and party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, among others. From SP, there are actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman.
Voting for the Rajya Sabha polls will conclude at 4 pm, followed by the commencement of counting at 5 pm, marking a pivotal moment in Uttar Pradesh's political landscape.
(With agency inputs)