Former Samajwadi Party leader Sanjeev Katiyar joined the BJP in the presence of Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak on Thursday. Katiyar, who previously served as the Samajwadi Party’s District Panchayat President, was welcomed by Pathak who sought his support for the BJP in Kannauj to secure victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“I welcome Sanjeev Katiyar to the BJP. He will support us in winning the elections in Kannauj, which is a very important place for us. I congratulate him and request that he support the party. The BJP will always support you as a member of the family,” the Deputy CM said.
The Lok Sabha election 2024 in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with votes being counted on June 4. Campaigning for the first phase of polling on April 19 concluded Wednesday evening, with candidates wrapping up their campaigns for eight parliamentary seats.
The seats going to the polls in the first phase are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur, and Pilibhit. In the 2019 elections, the BJP and its ally Apna Dal (S) won 64 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, significantly altering the ‘Mahagatbandhan’ arithmetic of the SP-BSP alliance, which secured only 15 seats.
The general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19.