Congress MLA Narensh Saini and Samajwadi Party MLA Hari Om Yadav, both from Uttar Pradesh, joined the BJP, a day after the ruling party suffered a jolt with the resignation of state government minister Swami Prasad Maurya.

Both Saini and Yadav hail from backward castes, and the BJP's decision to induct them into its fold appears to be aimed at refuting suggestions that it is confronting challenges in maintaining its strength among the OBCs, a group in which Swami Prasad Maurya is seen as an influential leader in parts of the state.