Defection spree continuing unabated even after the nomination process was over, jolting both Congress and BJP ahead of the election, a senior BJP leader Matbar Singh Kandari crossed over to Congress in the presence of the Chief Minister Harish Rawat and State Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay on Saturday.
He was sulking since the BJP poll list was announced. His claim for a seat was turned down. Along with him, his son Rajiv Kandari also left BJP to join Congress. Defending their decision to switch sides, they said they had taken the step to vent protest against BJP’s move to destabilise a democratically elected Government through authoritarian means. The senior Kandari further said that it was only Rawat who could provide a stable Government and develop the State appropriately. “BJP is a party that plays with dreams and takes the people for a ride by selling dreams. But Rawat is rooted in the ground reality. He talks about ground reality,” he said.
Earlier Kandari had deserted BJP after the Assembly election-2012 and joined Congress. later, he came back to the BJP during General eleciton-2014.