Danish Ali, Suspended BSP MP, Joins Congress Ahead Of 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

Danish Ali, the suspended Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha constituency, officially joined the Congress party in Delhi on Wednesday. He met with Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence on March 14 to seek her blessings for his second Lok Sabha election campaign from Amroha.

"I am honoured to receive the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, a symbol of sacrifice, for my upcoming Lok Sabha election from Amroha. Her dedication to India's poor is exemplary," Ali posted on social media after the meeting. He also highlighted the National Advisory Council (NAC), which was headed by Sonia Gandhi and introduced significant pro-poor and transparency laws such as MNREGA, RTI, Right to Education, and the Food Security Bill.

The Congress, as part of its seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party, had expressed interest in fielding Danish Ali from the Amroha constituency.

Ali had previously participated in the Rahul Gandhi-led Nyay Yatra from its starting point in Manipur, stating that it was his duty as a politician to be part of the "biggest drive for unity and justice." He also joined the Nyay Yatra as it passed through his constituency.

The BSP had suspended Danish Ali for alleged "anti-party activities" after he walked out of the Lok Sabha along with other Opposition members to protest the expulsion of TMC member Mahua Moitra for "unethical conduct," while other BSP members remained seated.

While the BSP has maintained a distance from both the ruling alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc as the Lok Sabha election approaches, Ali has emerged as a vocal critic of the ruling coalition, actively aligning himself with the opposition in criticizing the BJP and its policies.