SP founder member joins Congress, says Rahul Gandhi only one fighting corruption

Samajwadi Party leader and founder member Chandra Prakash Rai joined the Congress party on Thursday. Rai told India Today that he joined the Congress party because Rahul Gandhi seems to be the only one who is fighting against corruption and fascism. 

He was a Minister of State during the SP regime in Uttar Pradesh, but kept away from active politics for the last three years.

HISTORY WITH MULAYAM SINGH YADAV

Rai had maintained a close relationship with Samajwadi Party founder and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister late Mulayam Singh Yadav. In 1967, when Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected as an MLA for the first time by contesting from the Jaswant Nagar seat, Rai had managed the election campaign.

When Mulayam Singh Yadav formed the Samajwadi Party in 1992, he appointed Rai as the party's founding general secretary. However, differences with Mulayam Singh Yadav led to Rai's departure from the SP in 1994-95. Although he briefly joined the Congress during that time, he ultimately returned to the Samajwadi Party and assumed the position of national secretary in 1997.

In 2006, when Mulayam Singh Yadav was the UP CM, Rai was appointed Minister of State. When Akhilesh Yadav became the CM in 2012, Rai again became the Minister of State, but with the defeat of the SP in 2014, he became disillusioned with the party and left.

In 2017, Rai returned to the Samajwadi Party, but joined the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party in 2018 as the chief spokesperson. The party was formed by Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam's brother. The party later merged with the Samajwadi Party in 2022. 

Rai stayed away from active politics since 2020 and has now joined the Congress party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.