DEHRADUN: Former president of Uttarakhand Congress Kishore Upadhyay met senior state BJP leaders here on Monday night fuelling speculation in the media that he might join the saffron party. The meeting took place at the residence of state BJP's organisational general secretary Ajeya Kumar in the presence of BJP election in-charge Pralhad Joshi.
However, Upadhyay dismissed the speculation in this regard as rumour saying he was meeting different people in connection with his Vanadhikar Andolan as he wanted the coming assembly polls in Uttarakhand to be fought on the concerns of the hill state.
He appealed to people not to pay heed to such "rumours". Upadhyay is the founder of Vanadhikar Andolan, a movement that fights for the right of locals on the state's forest resources. His meeting with BJP leaders in the election season when political affiliations and loyalties are often being switched was quick to fuel speculation about his likely cross-over.
Former BJP MLA from Purola reserved seat in Uttarkashi, Malchand and Uttarkashi zila panchayat president Dipak Bijlwan joined the Congress in Delhi on Monday while ex-IPS officer Anant Ram Chauhan who was the working president of AAP and head of the party's Garhwal division also joined the Congress on Sunday.
Founder president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Sena Gaurav Singh Rana on Monday joined the BJP here along with office bearers of the outfit in the presence of Pradesh BJP vice president Devendra Bhasin.