Mumbai: BJP leader and former deputy mayor of Mumbai, Rajesh Sharma on Monday joined Congress along with his supporters.
Sharma, a two-time corporator from Andheri, is considered to be close to senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde. He was currently Mumbai BJP vice president.
Sharma joined Congress in the presence of state Congress president Manikrao Thakre.
Thakre later said Sharma was a good "grassroots worker," and would be given important responsibility in the state unit.
Sharma had met Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and AICC in-charge of Maharashtra, Mohan Prakash, before joining the party formally.
"Hard-working and meritorious people are being rendered irrelevant in BJP," Sharma accused.
Thakre claimed that some other leaders from non-Congress parties too had shown inclination to join the party.
Another senior BJP leader from Mumbai, Pravin Chhedha, had joined Congress before the civic elections earlier this year.
PTI
First Published: Monday, August 06, 2012, 19:25