BJP plays down Ashok Pradhan joining Samajwadi Party

NEW DELHI: BJP today sought to down play the issue of its senior leader Ashok Pradhan joining hands with the Samajwadi Party.

"Question should be posed to Pradhan," BJP leader Balbir Punj said here when asked to comment on it.

"Because the person, who was associated with a party and its ideology for so many years got benefited from it. Now what happened that after not getting the party ticket he has to switch over to other party," he said.

Ahead of elections in Gautam Budh Nagar on April 10, former Union Minister Pradhan joined SP, claiming that there was "trade" of Lok Sabha tickets in the party.

Asked to comment on Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging Election Commission's directive on transferring officials from the state, Punj said all political parties should respect and abide by the EC instructions.

"All Indians are proud of democracy. It is because elections are mostly conducted in an impartial and peaceful way. For this credit goes to voters and EC. So, therefore, it is necessary that all political parties should respect and abide by the directives of EC," Punj said.

The the EC has ordered transfer of five SPs and one district magistrate ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in West Bengal yesterday. Mamata has said that she would not transfer any official as long as she is the chief minister and reminded the EC that it has its limitations.