As gujjar leader and former Delhi NCP president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri joined the BJP along with three NCP councillors on Tuesday, former BJP president and Delhi BJP election in charge Nitin Gadkari said that many more leaders, including leaders from the ruling Congress party fearing anti-incumbency, were keen to join the party.
Bidhuri, a two-time MLA, was supposed to join the Congress on September 6 but he did not turn up at a function organised for his induction along with Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi and four leaders from rival parties.
An embarrassed chief minister Sheila Dikshit had claimed that he could not come to the function due to traffic jam.
The four leaders joined the BJP in the presence of party president Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Vijay Goel.
Welcoming the leaders into the party, Mr Gadkari said, “This is just the beginning. In the coming days, many more leaders from different parties would join us. Several leaders are in constant touch with us (BJP) to join the party. The BJP will sweep the coming elections and it will draw huge support in the days ahead.”
BJP chief Rajnath Singh said, “The entry of Bidhuri has strengthened the party in Delhi and no force can now stop the BJP from coming to power in the state in the next elections.”
Mr Bidhuri had won Assembly elections in 1993 and 2003 from the Badarpur constituency.
Mr Bidhuri slammed the Sheila Dikshit government for “high power and water tariff and the failure of the government to rehabilitate lakhs of slum-dwellers evicted during the Commonwealth Games”.
Three NCP councillors Dharamveer Awana, Timsy Kasana and Phholkali Narwaal also joined the BJP with Bidhuri.
A senior Delhi BJP leader said that some prominent names, including some sitting MLAs from the ruling party, are in touch with central leadership. “Fearing anti-incumbency, some MLAs and municipal councillors are keenly negotiating with the BJP leadership. Leaders who are willing to join unconditionally are welcome in the party, however central leadership will take the final call on their induction in the party,” he said.