NEW DELHI : In a boost to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the party inducted new members and two regional parties into its fold on Wednesday. The prominent among the new joiners include Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who was suspended from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for indulging in “anti-party activities”. The Congress is likely to field Ali from Amroha, his current Lok Sabha seat.
Last week, Ali met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and sought her ‘blessings’. His entry into the party was much speculated after he joined Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Manipur, saying he would be “failing in his duty as a politician if he did not become a part of the biggest drive for unity and justice”. Speaking to the media, Ali said: “On the one side, there is divisive ideology and on the other hand, the ideology represented by the Congress fighting for the rights of those exploited and marginalised. The choice was clear for me,“ he said.
In another development, Lok Sabha MP from Assam’s Barpeta Abdul Khaleque, who resigned from the Congress last week, withdrew his resignation, saying that the need of the hour is to strengthen the party.
Khaleque had resigned from the party over being denied a ticket after the party released its second list of candidates.
The regional parties which merged with the grand old party include the Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) from Bihar headed by five-time MP Pappu Yadav.
Speaking to reporters after the merger, Yadav said that he always felt ideologically closer to the Congress. Though Yadav had won from Madhepura seat on an RJD ticket in 2014, in 2019, he lost to the RJD candidate there. The Jammu and Kashmir based Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan party led by former MP Lal Singh is the other regional outfit which merged with the Congress. Singh, a two-time former Congress MP from Udhampur seat, said that it was a homecoming for him.
A three-time MLA and party whip of the BJP in Jharkhand assembly Jai Prakash Patel, who joined the Congress earlier in the day, said that under current circumstances in the county, Congress was the only alternative.
Third Front in J&K?
As the Election Commission has sounded poll bugle, there is possibility of emergence of “Third Front” in Jammu and Kashmir comprising three parties, which are critical to both the National Conference and the PDP, and the three parties may enter into seat sharing agreement for three-Valley seats by fielding the candidates for one seat each.
Chirag holds on to Hajipur seat
LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan said that he is ready to face his uncle and former union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, who has repeatedly said that he would not leave the Hajipur seat. Chirag said that it was upto his uncle Paras to decide, however Chirag would seek his renomination from there despite the obstacle created by his uncle.
2 BJP MPs file nomination
Two BJP candidates – sitting MP Himadri Singh and fresh face Dr Rajesh Mishra filed nominations from Shahdol-ST and Sidhi seats of Vindhya region on Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav mocked at the Congress over delay in naming candidates and its senior leaders shying away from contesting the polls. the Congress has named only ten candidates so far out of the 28 seats.