UP BJP chief's kin joins Congress

BJP suffered a major embarrassment when the daughter-in-law of Uttar Pradesh BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey's brother joined the Congress on Wednesday.

Amrita Pandey, the daughter-in-law of Jeetendra Nath Pandey, joined the Congress in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Amrita, who had earlier met Priyanka after her anointment as party general secretary, said that she had an ''old relationship'' with the Congress.

''I decided to join the Congress as the future belongs to it.....one does not know if prime minister Narendra Modi will fight the next polls (2024)...furthermore Congress works for the welfare of every section of the society,'' she said.

Amrita accused the BJP governments at the centre and in the state of doing precious little for the farmers, youths and other deprived sections of the society.

On whether she would be contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Amrita said that she would follow the directions of the party in this regard.

Amrita's joining the Congress came as a major embarrassment for the BJP though the latter sought to downplay the same. ''It is her personal decision....she was not a member of our party,'' said a state BJP leader here.

Barely a few days back, BJP suffered a similar embarrassment in Uttarakhand, when former chief minister and sitting MP from the hill state B.C.Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri joined the Congress. Manish could get Congress ticket from Tehri Garhwal LS seat. His father currently represents the constituency.