Former Haryana Congress leaders Kiran Choudhry and her daughter Shruti Choudhry along with their supporters joined the BJP here on Wednesday, a move which comes ahead of assembly polls in the state due later this year.
Both Kiran Choudhry and Shruti Choudhry had resigned from the primary membership of the Congress on Tuesday, alleging the state unit of the party was being run as a "personal fiefdom", in an apparent reference to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Kiran Choudhry is daughter-in-law of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal and a sitting MLA from Tosham in Bhiwani district. Shruti Choudhry was the working president of the Haryana unit of the Congress.
Addressing a joint press conference along with the BJP leaders after joining the party, Kiran Choudhry said, "Now I am also painted in saffron colour. But this colour was also the colour of Choudhary Bansi Lal." "We merged the Haryana Vikas Party into the Congress 20 years ago. Today, I call upon you to take the flag of the BJP in your hands, leaving the Congress's flag, and move forward till the last moment to ensure the BJP's landslide victory in Haryana assembly polls for a third consecutive term," she said in her message to her supporters who had gathered in large numbers to witness the joining ceremony.
"From today, our work begins. Take the name of Choudhary Bansi Lal and start working on the BJP's policies, hail the BJP's top leadership, visit every nook and corner of Haryana. This will be our true tribute to Choudhary Bansi Lal and Choudhary Surendra Singh," she added.
The two joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, party national general secretary Tarun Chugh, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and other senior leaders at the party headquarters here.
Kiran Choudhry said she joined the BJP as she was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work and noted that people of the country have given him mandate for the third consecutive term after seeing his work.
"People have once again given him this responsibility to fulfil his resolve to make India a developed country by 2047," she said.
She assured the BJP leaders that she and her daughter Shruti will work like "grassroot workers" to strengthen the party in Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. "We are ready", she added.
Kiran Choudhry also praised Khattar for his "honesty" and his work during his term as Haryana chief minister. Referring to him as her "big brother", she said Khattar was a "source of inspiration" to her.
Shruti Choudhry said she joined the BJP inspired by the party's policy and "historic decisions" taken by Prime Minister Modi in his last ten years of government.
Welcoming them to the party fold, Chugh said the Bansi Lal family contributed to strengthening the “foundation of the Congress in North India”.
“It’s a very big family and a very big vote bank. They will be given due respect in the party,” he told reporters.
Khattar also assured Kiran Choudhry and her daughter that they will get due respect in the party “as per their ability and seniority” and hoped that they will also fulfil the expectations of the party.
Saini said the BJP will be strengthened further with them joining the party. “We will work together as BJP family to make Haryana stronger,” he added.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
