Former Congress MP from Varanasi Rajesh Mishra joins BJP

New Delhi: In a setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha Sabha polls, its prominent leader from Uttar Pradesh Rajesh Mishra joined the BJP here on Tuesday, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Mishra, a former Congress MP from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, joined the BJP here in the presence of senior party leaders, including national general secretary Arun Singh and Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Mishra expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda and other leaders for his induction into the BJP and asserted that he will continue to remain with the saffron party for the rest of his political life.

"My efforts will be to ensure that in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the opposition party doesn't even get a polling agent to man the booths in Varanasi seat this time,” Mishra told the press conference at the BJP headquarters.

“I started politics with the Congress and it is now certain that I will remain with the BJP for the rest of my political life,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi is contesting the Lok Sabha polls seeking his re-election from the Varanasi seat for a third consecutive term.

Welcoming him to the party fold, Singh said Mishra, a “strong” Congress leader from Varanasi, has joined the BJP accepting the party’s policies and also looking at the work done by Prime Minister Modi government in the last ten years for people’s welfare and country's progress.

“He is from Banaras (Varanasi) and a strong leader of the Congress. In the recent Congress president’s election, Rajesh Mishra was a key member of the party’s election committee. He was an MP from Banaras from 2004-09,” the BJP national general secretary told reporters.

Singh said Mishra is a “very popular” leader in Uttar Pradesh.

“Resigning from the Congress, he has joined the BJP today. He will work for the party now under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and ensure a massive and historic victory of the BJP from Banaras and neighbouring constituencies,” he added.