Narad Rai met Amit Shah in Varanasi on Monday
In a setback for the Samajwadi Party, its leader and former minister Narad Rai hinted that he is all set to join the BJP and heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He also shared a photograph of his meeting with Mr Shah in which SBSP leader Om Prakash Rajbhar was also seen.
Mr Rai, according to SBSP national spokesperson Arun Rajbhar, had met Mr Shah in Varanasi on Monday.
"I will strengthen the thinking and nationalist ideology of empowering the poor living in the last row of the society following the resolve of Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, who has made India proud in the world, and the illustrious Home Minister of India, the Chanakya of politics, Honorable Amit Shah ji. Jai Jai Shri Ram," Mr Rai said in a post on X.
At a meeting in Khori Pakad village on Monday, Mr Rai had alleged that he was humiliated at a rally in favour of SP candidate Sanatan Pandey as his name was not taken by SP president Akhilesh Yadav though he was present on the dais.
At the meeting, he had sought support to put a "lock" on the cycle (SP's election symbol).
Voting in Ballia will be held on June 1 in the seventh phase.
The BJP has fielded Neeraj Shekhar from the seat.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)