Congress leader Karan Singh's son Ajatshatru Singh to join BJP on Nov 9

New Delhi, Nov 9: Ajatshatru Singh, son of senior Congress leader Karan Singh will join the BJP on Sunday, Nov 9, a move that the party feels will strengthen its foothold in the Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Assembly polls.

Ajatshatru's joining is likely to give a boost to BJP's prospects in the Jammu region. BJP has also taken back its expelled senior leader Chaman Lal Gupta ahead of the polls in its attempt to strengthen the party.

Confirming this, senior BJP leader Avinash Rai Khanna, who is in charge of the party's affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, said his party is expected to do well in the assembly polls and was strengthening its base in the state.

He said Ajatshatru will be joining the party in the presence of senior BJP leaders at the party office tomorrow.

Sources said both Ajatshatru and Gupta are likely to contest the upcoming polls in the state starting November 25. Gupta was expelled from BJP in connection with cash-for-vote scam in Legislative Council polls in 2011.

Ajatshatru is the younger son of Karan Singh and the grandson of late maharaja Hari Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.

He is currently a member of the National Conference and had unsuccessfully contested assembly election against BJP candidate in last election on NC ticket.

He is presently a sitting MLC from Nagrota seat. He may be fielded from the Nagrota assembly constituency which till now was represented by state BJP unit chief Jugal Kishore Sharma.

Recently, Karan Singh's elder son Vikramaditya Singh joined the PDP in the state ahead of assembly polls in the presence of top PDP leaders.

PTI