Lucknow: Social activist Nafisa Ali returned to the Congress fold and apologised to party Chief Sonia Gandhi for contesting the May Lok Sabha polls
on an SP ticket from Lucknow.
The 52-year-old former Miss India told reporters that though she had contested the election as an SP nominee she had never taken its membership and now she has returned to her "family" after apologising to Gandhi.
"I have returned to the Congress for life," she said. Ali had contested the parliamentary elections on an SP ticket in place of Sanjay Dutt, who was barred by the Supreme Court from contesting the polls.
On why she had contested as an SP nominee, she said, "it was an expression of my frustration over the prevailing system as well as concern for the issues related to common people."
Sharing the dias with UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, against whom she had contested the Lok Sabha poll, Ali said both fought to defeat BJP.
"It is the Congress which alone can redress the problems of the people," she said, adding she would help in revival of the party in UP, especially Lucknow.
Joshi, while welcoming Ali into the party, said the Lok Sabha poll rivalry between the two was "a thing of the past" and now they will work together for strengthening the party.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, November 05, 2009, 22:48