Dharam Singh Saini, who turned out to be the third minister that also from the OBC community to resign from gthe Uttar Pradesh cabinet said on Thursday that the desertion was planned 1.5 years ago.

Speaking to NDTV, he said, "It was decided 1.5 years ago that we all will resign. When almost 140 MLAs had launched a dharna against the government because of how the downtrodden were being treated. But their voice was suppressed. That was when everyone decided, we will give an answer to this. We were waiting for the right moment. And that is why one minister is resigning every day. This will go on till the 20th," he said..

Saini also explained why he had earlier denied any plan to leave BJP. "I had not yet received (SP) Maurya ji's message so I had not quit. Then he reached out. Akhilesh ji also sent a messenger and said, 'Join us, if you feel it's right. We will honour you and work for the backward sections'," he said.

An important OBC (Other Backward Class) leader, Saini was the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush in the Yogi Adityanath government.

Just 24 hours after scotching speculation that he was quitting the saffron party, he headed to the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and was seen in a picture with the him.

Before him, OBC leaders Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan had resigned from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Eight BJP MLAs, including three ministers, have put in their papers over the past three days.