Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 9: Sitting BJP MLA from Basohli in district Kathua, Jagdish Raj Sapolia is all set to give sleepless nights to two times former MP and BJP candidate from Basohli Ch Lal Singh as he bade good bye to the BJP today and joined Congress Party.
Mr Sapolia who was denied party ticket by the BJP was unhappy with the development. The party leadership preferred former Congress Member Parliament from Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat Ch Lal Singh who had embraced BJP during last Lok Sabha elections. Lal Singh was also denied ticket by the Congress Party and Ghulam Nabi Azad was given the mandate from Udhampur -Doda seat.
Sources close to Sapolia said that Congress high command has decided to field Sapolia from Basohli against Lal Singh who and his wife had already represented this constituency. The political Pandits opined that sitting MLA Sapolia is sure to give tough fight and sleepless nights to Ch Lal Singh this time as majority of the supporters of Sapolia were not happy with the decision of the BJP leadership for denying him ticket.
In a function organised in haste at the Congress headquarters this afternoon under the chairmanship of PCC vice president Th Hari Singh, Sapolia along with his supporters joined the Congress Party. PCC president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz who was supposed to attend the function could not make it to reach in view of his pre-engagements in Kashmir.
Other party functionaries including Shah Mohd Choudhary, C L Bhat, Dr Rashid Choudhary ( PCC gen secreraries), Anil Chopra DCC Jammu (U) president, Gurdarshan Singh, Neeraj Gupta, Rajiv Saraf and others were also present.
Mr Sapolia was garlanded profusely and accorded warm welcome in the party fold by the Congress leaders on the occasion. While speaking on the occasion, the Basohli MLA said that he was impressed with the working and secular character and approach of Congress Party which ensured lot of progress and development under the leadership of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz in the State.
PCC vice president Th Singh said that Congress party will be strengthened further in Basohli constituency with the joining of Mr Sapolia today. He said that Sapolia is strong voice of the people of Basohli area and he is loved and supported by majority of the people of this area.
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