Former Cabinet Minister Das joins BSP

Lucknow, May 10 : Former Union Minister Akhilesh Das joined the Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday, four days after he resigned from Congress.

Das had resigned from the Congress after he felt that he was being marginalized by the 'coterie' surrounding Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Welcoming Das into the party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced that the veteran Congress leader would be the party's candidate from Lucknow parliamentary constituency in next year's general elections.

Mayawati also appointed the forty-six-year-old leader as the BSP's national general secretary.

Besides Das, former MLC and AICC member Siraj Mehndi and some of his supporters also joined BSP.

ANI