BSP MP Ritesh Pandey: ‘Had almost no link with party last two years … did not see clarity in its approach towards me’

Lok Sabha MP Ritesh Pandey who quit the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday to join the BJP comes from a family with a political pedigree. His father Rakesh Pandey is a Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA at present and has earlier represented Ambedkarnagar in Parliament.

The 42-year-old Pandey, a Brahmin, created a space in the BSP whose core voter base is Jatav Dalits. He served as the party’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha but was replaced after the rout in the UP Assembly polls in 2022. He spoke to The Indian Express about what prompted him to quit the BSP and the road ahead.

Excerpts:

Why did you quit the BSP?

I was not invited to any party meeting after the 2022 UP Assembly elections. I do not want to comment more on this as I respect ‘Behenji (Mayawati)’. She has given me a lot and I do not want to make negative statements about her. Like me, other MPs were also not invited. They will answer for themselves.

Did you have apprehension that the BSP might not field you this time?

For the past 12 years in the BSP, I have learnt a lot. Party workers have held my hand and taught me but recently I started feeling that the party did not need me anymore. There must be a certain level of communication between the party and its MPs but this had been on a decline and became almost zero over the past two years. This made me feel that the party did not appreciate me and hence I found it appropriate to decide my future move.

Why did you choose the BSP in the first place?

I joined the party as a 24-year-old as I was impressed with the ideas and thoughts of the party, B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram ji, and Mayawati ji about the most deprived sections. Even now I am impressed with their ideas but I did not see clarity in the party’s approach towards me.