Former BJP MP from Jharkhand Ram Tahal Choudhary joins Congress

New Delhi: Former BJP MP from Jharkhand Ram Tahal Choudhary joined the Congress on Thursday and accused the saffron party of being dictatorial.

Choudhary joined the Congress at the AICC headquarters in the presence of Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, AICC in-charge of state Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, senior leader from the state Subodh Kant Sahay and AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.

"Impressed by the policies of the Congress, I have joined the party today. Just a couple of months before the elections, I was asked to give in writing that I will not contest the elections. I said it's dictatorship and resigned then and there (from the BJP)," Choudhary, the five-time former MP, said after joining the Congress.

Welcoming Choudhary, Mir said Ram Tahal Choudhary is a prominent name in Jharkhand and is known for his service, dedication, participation in several movements and a long political career.

"When the BJP did not recognise him, he contested the polls as an Independent candidate and even today, he is valued there (in Jharkhand)," Mir said.

Meanwhile, the president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Munish Tamang also joined the Congress.

Hamro Party founder Ajoy Edward also became a part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc as Khera welcomed them into the alliance.

"I congratulate Munish Tamang ji on joining Congress. I also congratulate Ajoy Edward ji of Hamro Party on becoming a part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc," general secretary in charge of West Bengal Mir said.

Tamang said, "I have joined Congress to take the entire country forward. For the past many years, our Gorkha community has given time to the BJP, but in return, our community got nothing but betrayal."

Hamro party chief Edward said, "We waited for years, but BJP did nothing for Darjeeling. When PM Modi came to Darjeeling five years ago, he had said – Gorkha people's dream is my dream... but nothing happened. We are saddened by schemes like Agniveer. This is a betrayal of our youth."

"We have now come with the I.N.D.I. alliance, we can get justice only here," he added.