The Samajwadi Party has named SP Maurya its candidate from Fazilnagar. (File)
Swami Prasad Maurya, whose switch from the BJP to the Samajwadi Party triggered a churn in Uttar Pradesh, has changed his constituency for the state election and will not contest from Padrauna, where he won the last election.
The Samajwadi Party has named Mr Maurya its candidate from Fazilnagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar.
Both Padrauna and Fazilnagar are part of Kushinagar, where Mr Maurya, a prominent backward caste leader, has a substantial following. He will fight against the BJP's Surendra Kushwaha, the son of BJP MLA Ganga Singh Kushwaha.
Mr Maurya's constituency shift comes days after another high-profile crossover, that of former Union Minister RPN Singh, who left the Congress for the BJP.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur remarked that Mr Maurya had "run away" from his constituency fearing defeat.
"After every five years, Swami Prasad Maurya selects a new swami (guru), but now with such difficulty, he's not even ready to contest from his own seat. What was his need to run away from Padrauna? He was afraid of defeat after all," Mr Thakur said.
RPN Singh, a former MP from Kushinagar, defeated Mr Maurya in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. When he joined the BJP, there was speculation that he would be pitted against Mr Maurya.
Mr Maurya, a three-time MLA, pointed out that he has won the last two state elections from Padrauna.
"I congratulate voters for electing me thrice. Why should I worry about someone I have defeated so many times? Whoever contests from Padrauna will still win," Mr Maurya told NDTV.
Last month, the OBC (Other Backward Class) leader started a mini-exodus of backward caste leaders from the BJP to the Samajwadi Party, leaving a big gap for the ruling party, especially in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Maurya had joined the BJP after quitting Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2016.