New Delhi : The Congress leaders were upbeat on Wednesday over the season of incomings during which senior BJP, BRS and BSP functionaries joined the grand old party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
In a carefully crafted manner, a series of joinings took place on Wednesday including sitting Jharkhand BJP MLA and whip JP Patel, former MP Lal Singh, who had moved to the BJP but later floated his own outfit Dogra Swabhiman Party, Bihar leader and Jan Adhikar Party founder Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and suspended BSP MP Kunwar Danish Ali.
Before them, sitting Haryana BJP MP Brijendra Singh, son of former MP Birender Singh, sitting BJP MP in Rajasthan Rahul Kaswan and several BRS leaders from Telangana joined the Congress recently.
Lal Singh, a two term Congress MP, is likely to get a ticket from Udhampur seat, while J&K Congress working president Raman Bhalla is likely to be fielded from Jammu seat, said party insiders, adding that Pappu Yadav may get a ticket from the Purnia seat while Danish Ali may be fielded from Amroha seat in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Kaswan has already been given a ticket from Churu seat in Rajasthan.
“Priyanka Gandhi played a role in the return of Lal Singh. More joining will take place over the coming days,” said a senior AICC functionary.
“Pappu Yadav was influenced by the Congress ideology and the merger of his party will change the politics of Bihar. He was also influenced by the Nyay guarantees of the Congress. His joining will strengthen the INDIA alliance,” AICC general secretary in charge of Bihar Mohan Prakash told this channel.
“These leaders are realizing that the social justice slogan being highlighted during the nationwide yatra of Rahul Gandhi reflects the ground reality which is far from the over 400 seats claim of the BJP,” he said.
“They have picked up the number 370 seats from Jammu and Kashmir. But if they lose the elections there, the number would become meaningless,” said Lal Singh.
Danish Ali, who had earlier been ridiculed by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, was suspended from the BSP after he supported TMC MP Mohua Moitra. Later, Rahul Gandhi had met Ali to express solidarity with the MP.
“Ali’s joining will help us in western parts. It also indicates the disquiet within BSP,” AICC secretary in charge of UP Pradeep Narwal told this channel.
Ex BSP MP Imran Masood has already joined the Congress and is likely to contest from Saharanpur seat.
According to AICC secretary in charge of Telangana Rohit Chaudhary, the BRS leaders migrating to Congress shows that the regional party is collapsing in the southern state.
“It is a clear indication that the BRS which ruled the state over the past 10 years is collapsing. The Congress is in power but is also expanding its influence. This will help us in the coming national polls,” Chaudhary told this channel.
Among those who recently joined the grand old party from BRS include MLA Danam Nagender and MP Ranjith Reddy. Besides, several BRS leaders who were representatives in local bodies too have shifted to the Congress.
“The exodus of BRS leaders was seen even before the assembly elections and even some BJP leaders had also joined us,” said Chaudhary.
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