Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: Declared party candidate for BSP from Jammu East hardly three weeks back by the national general secretary Narender Kashyap at a press conference, Ch Showkat Gujjar today abandoned the party and jumped into the Congress camp in support of Vikram Malhotra.
Mr Malhotra, a Congress candidate from Jammu East along with PCC vice president Th Hari Singh, S Gurmukh Singh, general secretary Manmohan Singh, DCC Jammu Urban, president Anil Chopra, senior leaders Gurdarshan Singh, M L Kashyap, Neeraj Gupta and others were present on the occasion. They welcomed Showkat in the party fold and claimed that Showkat has pledged to support Congress in the elections.
Talking to media-persons, Showkat Gujjar said that he realized later that only Congress which is secular party can ensure better development of Jammu East and provide justice to the Gujjars and the minority community ( Muslims). On the request of Vikram Malhotra, he changed his mind and talked to his supporters and then took decision to withdraw from contest. “I along with my all the supporters and community members would render whole hearted support to Vikram Malhotra,” Showkat maintained.
When asked what led him to change his mind within hardly 20 days after joining BSP and getting party mandate to shift loyalty to Congress and get retired in favour of Malhotra, Showkat failed to convince the media but maintained that Congress is secular party and can ensure better development than BSP. When asked was he not aware 20 days earlier that Congress is secular party, Showkat fumbled and just concluded Congress is better choice and he has retired in favour of his ‘brother’ Vikram Malhotra and wanted welfare of his community.
Mr Malhotra claimed that NC, BJP and PDP are only exploiting people for vote bank and Congress would emerge as single largest party. The party is heading towards big victory. Congress is the only party which exists in all the corners of the State and the country. He appealed the people to support Congress for better development.
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