Denied ticket, sitting BJP MLA in JK joins Congress

Jammu, Nov 9: Denied ticket to contest Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, senior BJP leader and sitting MLA Jagdish Raj Sapolia today joined Congress.

Sapolia, the legislator from Basohli constituency, is among the seven sitting MLAs from BJP who have not been given ticket by the party to contest the Assembly elections.

"As I have joined Congress today, my job will be to carry forward the Congress manifesto in my area," Sapolia said. The MLA, who initially denied to talk about the reason for leaving BJP and termed it a "personal matter", later said the denial of ticket was the reason for leaving the party.

"I was denied the ticket and was not even told the reason for the denial, so I decided to leave that party (BJP)" Sapolia said. He said though he worked for BJP for six years, the party did not accept him.

"The party (BJP) did not accept me. The party created problems for me and created an environment wherein I had to leave it," he said. When asked whether Congress has assured him of the party mandate, Sapolia said, "We have left it to the Congress high command."

Welcoming him to the party, Senior Vice President of Pradesh Congress Committee Thakur Hari Singh said, "We welcome him back home as he had left Congress to join BJP. He was a misfit in BJP as by heart he always remained with Congress. We welcome his decision to return to Congress." Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in five phases, starting November 25.

PTI