Suspended BSP leader, MP Danish Ali joins Congress
What's the story
Suspended Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali has joined the Congress. Ali is the incumbent MP from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha constituency. The development comes five days after Ali met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in Delhi and sought her "blessings." Speculation had been circulating since the meeting regarding Ali's imminent induction into the Congress.
Statement
Joining party that fights against 'divisive' forces: Ali
Upon joining the Congress, Ali said that given the current situation in the country, it is imperative to align with the party in its fights against "divisive" elements. "On one side are divisive forces and on the other are...fighting to get 'nyay (justice)' for the poor and oppressed. The choice is very clear," Ali said. To recall, he participated in the Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" in Manipur and later in Amroha.
Amroha constituency
Ali likely to be fielded from Amroha
There's speculation that Ali could become the Congress candidate for the Amroha constituency As part of its seat-sharing arragment with the Samajwadi Party, the Congress had retained Amroha for itself. Avinash Pande, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, said that Ali's induction in the party will be advantageous given his long political career, which began in his student days.
Ali's suspension
Details behind Ali's suspension from BSP
To recall, the BSP suspended Ali last year due to his involvement in "anti-party activities," which included walking out of Lok Sabha proceedings as a protest against Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra's expulsion. Before joining the BSP and Congress, he was with the Janata Dal (Secular). He has also held the position of a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka earlier.