Guwahati: Several state and local Congress leaders, including Dharampal Thakur Khand, the former general secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee, joined the BJP on Monday, just days before the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.
A total of 26 leaders of the opposition Congress party defected and joined the governing BJP.
This comes as a huge shock to the Congress party with less than a week till voting.
The leaders jumped the boat in the presence of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and BJP’s Sudhan Singh, incharge of BJP state elections. BJP candidate from Shimla, Sanjay Sood was also present on the occasion.
Among those who joined hands with the BJP include former Congress general secretary Dharampal Thakur, former secretary Akash Saini, former councillor Rajan Thakur, former district vice president Amit Mehta, Mehr Singh Kanwar, Youth Congress Rahul Negi, Jai Maa Shakti social sansthan president Joginder Thakur, Naresh Verma, Chamyana ward member Yogendra Singh, taxi union member Rakesh Chauhan, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Shimla president Dharmendra Kumar, Virendra Sharma, Rahul Rawat, Sonu Sharma, Arun Kumar, Shivam Kumar, Gopal Thakur.
Others who switched sides along with them are Chaman Lal, District Congress Committee secretary Devendra Singh, Mahendra Singh, former general secretary of Youth Congress Munish Mandla, Balkrishna Bobby, Sunil Sharma, Surendra Thakur, Sandeep Samta and Ravi.
All BJP members were cordially welcomed by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
“Let us work together for the historic victory of the BJP,” he said.
Prior to the Himachal assembly elections, BJP national president JP Nadda professed confidence in the party’s victory and claimed that the state’s residents have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He praised Chief Minister Jairam Thakur for leading the election-bound state and claimed that he put policies into practise.
While talking to the media persons in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan, he said, “We are conducting public outreach programme in Solan. People are excited and have trust in PM Modi. CM Jairam Thakur has implemented policies on the ground in the state.”
Himachal will go to polls on November 12; the counting of votes will take place on December 8.