Ex-minister Virendra Singh joins BJP

Along with Choudhury Virendra Singh, a six time MLA and minister in the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government , joined the BJP along with his close associates Shamli District Panchayat chairman Manish Chauhan and Kandhla Block pramukh Harminder Chauhan.

The new BJP leader is presently MLC of SP and his term expires on January 30,2021.

The joining of Choudhury Virendra Singh, a prominent Gujjar leader of west UP, has serve a big blow to the Mahagathbandan in west UP, which goes to polls in the first two phases. With this joining, the BJP also got a major relief in view of the recent Gujjar unrest following denial of ticket to late Hukum Singh's daughter Mriganka Singh from Kairana and shifting of another Gujjar leader, though from Haryana, Avtar Singh Bhadana to Congress.

Choudhury Virendra Singh, in his brief speech, said that there is no condition of his joining the BJP and his main effort would be to support to party to win all the 16 seats of west UP going to polls in the first two phases.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, welcoming the SP leader in the BJP fold, said that joining of Choudhury Virendra Singh will boost the party's prospect in west UP.

When asked about if Nishad Party too was joining the BJP, the CM just gave a surprise smile and said just wait. " BJP is not weak and will fulfill the target to win 74 seats in UP," he said.

UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey too welcomed the leader in the party fold and gave him the party membership slip.

Earlier it was speculated that Nishad Party could join the BJP fold along with former Congress MP from Jhansi, Pradeep Jain Aditya, who has been denied ticket by the Congress this time. 

Image: UNI