In a much apprehended setback to the Congress in the state capital, both of its presidents in Lucknow city distanced themselves with the grand old party in the mid of the crucial urban local body elections.
While Dilpreet Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, the other, Ajay Kumar ‘Ajju’, was reported to be in touch with saffron leaders and showed his willingness to join the ruling party. However, before he could get a favourable reply from the BJP, the Uttar Pradesh Congress expelled Ajay Kumar ‘Ajju’ along with Dilpreet Singh from the party citing anti-party activities.
Dilpreet Singh on Thursday joined the BJP along with his supporters in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. He had joined Congress recently and had also contested the last assembly election as a Congress candidate from Lucknow Cantonment constituency but lost his deposit, securing just over 5,000 votes. He was presently holding the post of Lucknow (South).City Congress Committee president
Interestingly after Singh joined the BJP, Congress zonal president Nakul Dubey, who was in Bahujan Samaj Party before joining the Congress, called a press conference at UPCC headquarters on Thursday afternoon to announce the expulsion of Singh along with ‘Ajju’ from the party.
“Indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost so both city president (south) Dilpreet Singh and city president (north) Ajay Srivastava ‘Ajju’ have been expelled from the party and all the posts they held,” Nakul Dubey asserted while declaring expulsion of both the Lucknow city unit presidents.
“Both were engaged in anti-party activities for the last six months. We tried to explain a lot, but today both have been expelled for showing gross indiscipline,” Dubey said.
Dubey, however, claimed that their departure would not make any difference to the Congress as each and every worker of the party was strongly engaged in the elections and would make the Congress candidates victorious.
He said that the BJP believed in dividing the opponents by luring their leaders during the election time but their plan would fall flat as all the saffron leaders contesting the elections would face humiliating defeats after the results were announced on May 13.
It may be mentioned that on Sunday, Samajwadi Party’s mayoral candidate from Shahjahanpur, Archana Verma, joined the BJP in the presence of Pathak in Lucknow. Hours later, she was declared the BJP candidate for the same post.
Nakul Dubey, in reply to a question, said that Congress was contesting the civic elections on the issues of the people and would seek votes only on the issues of the people.
“When the results come on May 13, you all will see that the people have blessed the Congress,” he said.
On why Dilpreet left the Congress, Dubey said the party gave him all honour, including ticket in the assembly elections, but he was unable to fight the ruling party’s misdeeds on road so Singh preferred to join the BJP in search of greener pasture.
