In yet another embarrassment for the party within a month, Congress candidate from Gautam Budh Nagar in UP Ramesh Chand Tomar on Thursday fled from the contest and joined rival BJP with just a week left for the Lok Sabha poll in the constituency.

He becomes the second nominee to have deserted the party soon after getting ticket.

Tomar, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha polls as a Congress nominee from Gautam Budh Nagar, returned to the BJP fold after a gap of over five years as he was earlier a three-time BJP MP from neighbouring Ghaziabad. Welcomed to the party fold by BJP chief Rajnath Singh, Tomar said he was “coming back to his home”.

Tomar’s last minute desertion has left the party in a tight spot as it cannot have its own candidate because the last date for filing nomination is over and election is on April 10.

“I decided to join the BJP because of Narendra Modi as he has promised good governance and development,” he said after joining the saffron party.

Praising Modi, he said, “Modiji is for development and good governance and I will work for the victory of the BJP in the election.”