Legislator Dharmjeet Singh, who was expelled from the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) last year, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Sunday, ahead of the state assembly polls due this year-end.
Former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer SSD Badgaiya also joined the main Opposition party in Chhattisgarh during a function held at Kushabhau Thakre Parisar, the state BJP's headquarters in Raipur.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who is also BJP's joint in-charge for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, state party president Arun Sao, former Chief Minister Raman Singh and other senior party leaders were present on the occasion.
Welcoming Dharmjeet Singh and Badgaiya into the BJP, Sao said people from different parties and sections of society have been joining the BJP, which clearly indicates a 'wind of change' is blowing in Chhattisgarh and after November, lotus will bloom in the state.
People of the state are fed up of the Congress's misrule and are now looking towards the BJP with full faith, he claimed and added 'we all will work together to save Chhattisgarh”.
Dharmjeet Singh, a four-term MLA from Lormi Assembly seat, is considered as a strong and popular leader in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur division.
He was first elected as an MLA in 1998 on the Congress's ticket from Lormi seat. He subsequently won assembly polls in 2003 and 2008, but lost the 2013 election at the hands of a BJP candidate.
Dharmjeet Singh later aligned with former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who floated his outfit JCC (J) in 2016 after parting ways with the Congress.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, Singh successfully contested from Lormi seat on the JCC (J) ticket.
In September last year, the JCC (J) expelled Singh from the party, claiming he ignored the interests of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities and acted against the principles laid down by party founder late Ajit Jogi.
After being in power in Chhattisgarh for 15 years (2003-2018) under the leadership of Raman Singh, the BJP suffered a massive defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections at the hands of the Congress.
Published 13 August 2023, 10:00 IST