Former Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay joins BJP

Highlights

Kishore Upadhyay was removed from all positions in Congress as a disciplinary action
Congress took action against Kishore Upadhyay after he met BJP leaders in Dehradun
BJP could field Kishore Upadhyay from the Tehri seat which he had won in 2002 & 2007

Former Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyay on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dehradun ahead of the Assembly polls. Upadhyay was expelled from Congress for six years for anti-party activities.

"I have joined BJP with the spirit of taking Uttarakhand forward. You should ask Congress why such a situation has risen," he said after joining BJP in Dehradun.

Upadhyay was earlier removed from all party positions as a disciplinary action after he met BJP leaders in Dehradun, including the party's election in-charge for Uttarakhand Pralhad Joshi.

Speculations were rife since then that Upadhyay may join the BJP. If reports are to go by, the saffron party may field him from the Tehri Assembly seat which he had won in 2002 and 2007.

Assembly polls in Uttarakhand will be held on February 14. Counting will take place on March 10.