Hours after resigning from the Congress’ primary membership Prof Gourav Vallabh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Thursday alongside former Bihar Congress President Anil Sharma and RJD leader Upendra Prasad.
The former Congress spokesperson joined the BJP in the presence of General Secretary Vinod Tawad and other senior leaders at the party headquarters here.
Vallabh called the grand old party “directionless” as he cited his expanding disagreement on the party’s view especially on the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya.
In a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday, Vallabh wrote that the party “is not able to adjust itself to the youth with new ideas”.
In his letter to Kharge, which was posted on social media platform X, Vallabh,who debuted in politics in 2019, said, “I don’t feel comfortable with the directionless way the Congress was moving today, which is against the basic principles of the party. I can’t raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country day and night. Hence, I am resigning from all the posts and the primary membership of the Congress Party.”
Vallabh also wrote that over the past few years, the party has failed to ‘realize’ expectations of ‘New India.’ Coming from an economic background Vallabh who on numerous occasions was seen defending his former party on TV debates, on Thursday criticized the party’s stance on caste-based census and Hindu society, arguing it misleads the public into thinking the Congress supports a specific religion.
The former Congress spokesman, who lost his 2023 election contesting the Rajasthan Assembly polls, said that he was shocked when the party declined to be a part of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
Boxer Vijender Singh also quit the Congress and defected to the BJP on Wednesday. The political crossovers come just days ahead of the Lok Sabha elections that take off on April 11. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.
