Congress veteran Janardan Dwivedi's son Samir Dwivedi joins BJP

Days before Delhi votes for a new assembly, Samir Dwivedi, the son of senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi, on Tuesday joined the BJP.

Samir, a former army officer, has no prior experience in public life, said he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dedication to the national cause and the numerous good steps he had taken in the interest of the nation.

“There are things which have been done under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership were not possible earlier. The abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq and CAA are its examples,” Dwivedi said here.

He was welcomed into the BJP by general secretary Arun Singh.

Samir's father Janardan Dwivedi has worked closely with the Gandhi family and rose to become AICC General Secretary (Organisation) and virtually Number 2 in the Congress party given his proximity to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Dwivedi was a member of the four-member panel entrusted with running the Congress party when Sonia Gandhi travelled to the US for treatment in 2011.

Dwivedi, a three-term Rajya Sabha member, fell out of favour in the Congress as Rahul Gandhi took centrestage in party affairs and the skirmishes of young leaders identified with him.

The veteran leader retired from the Rajya Sabha in January 2018, was shunted out as AICC General Secretary five months later and has kept away from party affairs since then. Congress sources said that Dwivedi had not attended the meetings of the Central Election Committee (CEC), the only party panel that he is part of, when it finalised candidates for the Delhi assembly elections.

Dwivedi views on caste-based reservations, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's leadership qualities and comments that were seen as praising Modi had left the Congress in a tight spot.

On Tuesday, Dwivedi said he had no knowledge of his son joining any political party.

“If he has joined the BJP, it is his independent decision,” the veteran leader said.