Addressing the media here in Lucknow on Monday, Mahant Kaushlendra Nath said he felt being cheated by the BJP and after the party embraced corrupt people, there was no question of staying back in the party. He told the journalists present on the occasion that he took the membership of the party at party’s national president Sharad Yadav’s residence in Delhi and expressed his faith in the abilities and leadership qualities of Nitish Kumar.

Mahant Kaushlendra Nath looked virtually upset after the BJP denied him the ticket, he revealed he was never a member of the party and also never took any post in the party at any point of time. “I fought last election on the party symbol of BJP but I didn’t take any post in the Bharatiya Janta Party. Hindutva and development would be my issues and I will contest polls on these issues. My constituency lack development and due to economic backwardness in the area, people have been migrating to other places in search of greener pastures,” said Mahant Kaushlendra Nath.

He said he also raised the issue of ‘conversion’ especially in the bordering states in Vidhan Sabha but nobody looked serious on the issue which should have been debated seriously. “There is a mass conversion going on in the name of religion in the bordering states and many Dalits have turned to be Christian. They have changed their religion and this should be checked as it would have serious repercussions in the long run. It will pose a grave threat to the national fabric of the nation and a time will come when the nation will lose its real identity,” quipped Mahant Kaushlendra Nath.

He described the Janta Dal United as the real “Samajwadi party” as the party always advocated for socialism in true sense and with the guidance and blessings coming down to its leaders from social crusaders like Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaiprakash Narain, the party has always raised the issues concerning the farmers, poor and downtrodden.

JDU general secretary Subhash Pathak told the media that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar would be coming to campaign for the party as a ‘star campaigner’ in the upcoming assembly polls for which the necessary information has already been sent to the state election commission. The party would be releasing its manifesto by Wednesday and the list of remaining candidates will also be announced soon.