JAMMU: More than 50 political and social activists, including several workers of the AAP and National Panthers Party, on Monday joined the BJP in the presence of its Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina here.
Prominent among those who joined the saffron party were former Chief Vigilance Officer Jeet Raj Kalsi, retired executive engineer R K Gupta, advocate Neeraj Gupta, and AAP's provincial women wing president Rajni Jamwal, who switched over from the Aam Aadmi Party after being associated with it for the last more than six months.
"The joining of these prominent political and social activists from different parts of Jammu will strengthen the party's mission of 50 plus seats in the next assembly elections to have its own government in J&K," Raina told reporters.
Welcoming the new entrants into the party fold, he credited their joining to the efforts of former MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia who ended his association with the AAP in September before switching over to the BJP.
He was earlier affiliated with the NPP.
NPP district president for Kishtwar Rehmat Choudhary, his party colleagues Sham Lal Sharma and Jagdev Singh from Udhampur too joined the BJP.
"After 30 years of government service, I joined the AAP (in May) but was disappointed on seeing that the party is directionless and its primary aim is to oppose the policies of the BJP even if they is in the interest of the masses," Kalsi said.
Taking a dig at the AAP, he said making electricity and water free would not help the development of the country.
"We will work harder to make the BJP and the country strong," he said.
Jamwal said she will work with dedication to reach out to people and highlight the policies of the BJP-led government.
Mankotia said a large number of political and social activists are joining the BJP on daily basis as they are attracted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.