After joining the BJP on January 20, former Samajwadi Party MLA Pramod Gupta said that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav hates 'Samajwadis'. “The reason I joined BJP is that I like their policy. Akhilesh Ji hates Samajwadis in Samajwadi Party. One by one, he cornered everyone and has only flatterers in the party. No one has ever won with a margin of over 18,000 votes from the Bidhuna seat except me.”