Veteran Congress leader Dr Karan Singh’s younger son Ajatshatru Singh, currently a member of the National Conference, is all set to don saffron robes in the presence of central party leaders in New Delhi.
The grandson of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of Jammu & Kashmir, is expected to join the BJP on November 9 in the presence of senior party leaders in the national capital.Two months ago Vikramaditya, elder son of Dr Karan Singh, had joined Peoples Democratic Party in the presence of PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed and party Chief Mehbooba Mufti.
According to party sources, “Ajatshatru Singh was tipped to join BJP soon after the party high command cleared his name in the last week of October”.“Initially the joining ceremony was scheduled to take place in Jammu but last minute changes in the schedule warranted change of venue and timing.
Ajatshatru Singh is likely to be fielded from Nagrota Assembly seat, vacated by the state BJP Chief Jugal Kishore after he won the lok Sabha polls. He is expected to give tough competition to the provincial president of the National Conference and close aide of Omar Abdullah, DS Rana. Rana is younger brother of MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh.
Ajatshatru had earlier won the seat in 1996 but lost it in 2002 by a narrow margin of 67 votes in 2002 and 1620 votes in 2008 Assembly polls. On both the occasions BJP legislator Jugal Kishore defeated him.
