Former BJP member and Bahraich MP Savitribai Phule on Saturday joined Congress along with ex-SP leader Rakesh Sachan. The two joined the party in presence of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
A prominent Scheduled Caste leader, Phule had resigned from the basic membership of BJP on the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar last year, alleging that the ruling party “was trying to create divisions in the society”.
Phule had been critical of BJP over several issues, particularly on those related to Dalits. In December, she had targeted UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his comments on the caste of Hanuman.
She has also been associated with Mayawati’s BSP. However, joined BJP in 2000 contested the Assembly elections in 2002, 2007 and 2012. She managed to win the 2012 elections and later the 2014 Lok Sabha election. She fell out with the saffron party after the Supreme Court struck down the stringent provisions of the Atrocities Act.
While the Dalit leader represents Bahraich Lok Sabha seat, Sachan is a former Lok Sabha member from Fatehpur. A two-term MLA, Sachan had won the 2009 Lok Sabha poll from Fatehpur, but lost the seat in 2014 when BJP swept the state.