Tirath dumps Cong, joins BJP
20 Jan 2015 12:53 AM GMT
Former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Minister Krishna Tirath on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, embarrassing the Congress which lashed out at the ruling party for “importing leaders in desperation” ahead of Delhi assembly election. Tirath (59), a Congress veteran from Delhi, was welcomed in the party fold by BJP chief Amit Shah with a bouquet of flowers.
The former Woman and Child Development Minister in Manmohan Singh-led UPA government was accompanied by incharge of party affairs in Delhi Prabhat Jha and city unit BJP president Satish Upadhyay. “It is a question of ideology. I met BJP President Amit Shah to serve the people.... I have come with this aim,” Tirath, who was a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly between 1984?2004 and the North West Delhi MP from 2004 till 2014, said after meeting Shah.
On what would be her role in the BJP, she said the party chief will decide that and added, “My role will be towards public service.” Congress appeared to be taken aback by Tirath’s move to desert the party. Congress leader Ajay Maken said it showed the “nervousness and desperation” of BJP which is ready to bring any leader in the party fold ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally evoked a
“lukewarm” response.
“They have to import leaders from other parties because they have no faith in their own leaders,” he said. Tirath is the third high profile woman to have joined the BJP in the past week ahead of February 7 Delhi assembly elections. The former Congress leader will contest from the Patel Nagar seat.
The former Woman and Child Development Minister in Manmohan Singh-led UPA government was accompanied by incharge of party affairs in Delhi Prabhat Jha and city unit BJP president Satish Upadhyay. “It is a question of ideology. I met BJP President Amit Shah to serve the people.... I have come with this aim,” Tirath, who was a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly between 1984?2004 and the North West Delhi MP from 2004 till 2014, said after meeting Shah.
On what would be her role in the BJP, she said the party chief will decide that and added, “My role will be towards public service.” Congress appeared to be taken aback by Tirath’s move to desert the party. Congress leader Ajay Maken said it showed the “nervousness and desperation” of BJP which is ready to bring any leader in the party fold ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally evoked a
“lukewarm” response.
“They have to import leaders from other parties because they have no faith in their own leaders,” he said. Tirath is the third high profile woman to have joined the BJP in the past week ahead of February 7 Delhi assembly elections. The former Congress leader will contest from the Patel Nagar seat.
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