Setback For Samajwadi Party as National General Secretary Resigns

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): Former Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Prakash Verma has dealt a significant blow to the Samajwadi Party (SP) by resigning from the party just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Verma, a prominent Kurmi leader known for his influence in the Lakhimpur Kheri district, has a notable presence in an area where the OBC vote constitutes 35% of the 50 lakh population.

In a letter addressed to the party president on Thursday night, Verma cited his departure from the SP as a response to the internal activities of the party within Lakhimpur Kheri. Speculation is rife that Ravi Prakash Verma might be on the brink of joining the Congress, as the Congress committee appears willing to welcome him into their ranks.

Verma has a history of political representation, having held the Kheri parliamentary seat twice as a Member of Parliament (MP) and serving as a Rajya Sabha MP once. In January 2023, he was appointed the national general secretary of the SP for the third time by national president Akhilesh Yadav. However, his rift with the SP became apparent a few months later, fueling ongoing speculation of his departure from the party prior to the Lok Sabha elections.

Notably, Ravi Verma’s mother, Usha Verma, also served as an MP from 1984 to 1989. Ravi Verma continued the family’s political legacy by representing the Kheri parliamentary seat as a Lok Sabha MP from 1998 to 2024 and as a Rajya Sabha member from 2014 to 2020. Furthermore, in 2019, his daughter Purvi Verma contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Kheri parliamentary seat as an SP candidate but faced defeat against the incumbent BJP MP Ajay Mishra.