In a major setback to Congress in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, State Congress working president and a key tribal leader Ramdayal Uike joined the BJP on Saturday.
Uike, the four time MLA, joined the BJP in Bilaspur in presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and BJP State president Dharamlal Kaushik. “I was feeling suffocated in the Congress’’ Uike told reporters after he rejoined the saffron party after roughly 18 years. He remarked Congress has no future in Chhattisgarh.
Congress which is out of power in the mineral-rich State since 2003, has expressed shock over Uike’s decision. Chhattisgarh Congress President Bhupesh Baghel has termed Uike’s decision, ‘shocking, disgusting and a classic example of politics of opportunism’. Senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo remarked, “I had not expected it, it is really unbelievable’’.
Uike was BJP legislator from Marwahi seat in year 2000 when State was formed with a split of Madhya Pradesh. He later switched over to Congress along with 11 other BJP legislators when Ajit Jogi was heading the Congress Government in the State. Uike was winning as Congress candidate from Korba district’s Pali-Tanakhar seat for past three Assembly polls where as BJP was placed at third position in last polls in 2013.
Meanwhile, the Congress received some consolation on Saturday when a senior journalist Ruchir Garg joined the party in New Delhi in presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Garg, who served several newspapers in the State as Editor during his long stint in Hindi journalism, is speculated to be fielded as party candidate in Raipur for next month Assembly polls.