The BJP on Saturday received a shot in the arm with former Army chief General VK Singh along with several other ex-servicemen formally joining it terming it as the “only nationalist party”. And Sunday will see former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh returning to the BJP fold five years after he quit to form his own outfit.
The day will also witness another former CM of the State and senior Congressman Jagdambika Pal switching over to the BJP camp. General Singh, who joined the BJP in the presence of party president Rajnath Singh, lost no time in calling upon the troops to support the party so that a “stable, strong and nationalist” Government is formed. “I saw only BJP as nationalist party,” he said while explaining the reason for joining the party.
“We, who have served on borders, should work with nationalist forces. So, we have decided to move with the BJP to bring a Government which is stable, strong and takes decisions in national interest,” said Singh, who had been engaged in a fierce legal tussle with the UPA Government.
Welcoming Singh into the BJP, Rajnath Singh said if the BJP comes to power, it will take good care of the armed forces. He used the occasion to attack the UPA Government, saying it has not looked after the armed forces well and cited the recent mishaps involving the Navy.
Kalyan Singh, who has resigned as an independent MP from Etah, joining BJP officially on Sunday at the Vijay Shankhnad rally in lucknow remains a formality for both the party as well as him. He has been an integral part of the BJP’s seven rallies in the State sharing the dais with party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
“I have written a letter on February 25 resigning from the lok Sabha and joining the BJP now,” Kalyan Singh said. He could not join BJP earlier owing to the fear of disqualification in Parliament as the outfit, Jankranti Party, he had formed after quitting BJP during 2009 lok Sabha elections, merged with the BJP in January 2013. At the time of merger, his party was headed by his son Rajbir Singh.
While Pal so far was considered to be close to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, senior AICC general secretaries said that his exit would not make any difference to the party. Sources said Pal had met Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh after which the decision of taking him in the BJP was made. Pal was serving Congress as chairman of Estimates Committee.
General Singh’s entry into the BJP, however, saw the SP demanding that Government frame rules for a 10-year ‘cooling off’ period for officials who wish to affiliate with political parties after retirement. The Congress, however, downplayed the development. SP national general secretary Naresh Agarwal alleged that a section of bureaucrats start “compromising” at the fag end of their career due to political pressure and for better prospects.
Former JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari disapproved of the former Army Chief’s move. “I would have opined the same had he joined Congress party,” Tiwari said, while urging the Government to enact laws to curb such post-retirement moves by officials.
But Congress said it was not surprised by the development. “He (Singh) is a free man in a free country,” party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said it was a known fact that the former Army Chief would be joining BJP.