Lucknow, November 16: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday surrendered before a fast track court designated for hearing the pending cases against lawmakers. Maurya is on trial in two cases of poll code violation and a ten-year-old misappropriation of funds case.

Shortly after his surrender around noon, Maurya's bail plea filed by his counsel was approved by the court. While the senior BJP leader has been granted bail, the cases against him would continue under the fast-track format. No One Can Stop us From Erecting Statue of 'Ram Lalla', Says UP Deputy CM.

Maurya is accused of violating the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct in 2014 -- when he successfully contested in the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Phulpur.

The misappropriation of funds case dates back to September 2008, in which he is accused of illicitly collecting money from public after forging papers of a Durga Puja committee.

The ruling BJP has denied the charges, calling them a conspiracy by the Opposition against the UP Deputy CM.

Maurya, in his affidavit before the Election Commission in 2014, declared nearly a dozen criminal cases pending against him.

In 2017, after the BJP triumphed to power with a brute majority in UP, Maurya was chosen as the Deputy CM by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. His elevation necessitated his election to the Legislative Council, which forced him to vacate the parliamentary seat of Phulpur. In the bypolls which followed, the Samajwadi Party pulled an unprecedented victory.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2018 03:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).