Chandigarh, Sept 08: Bandit-queen-turned politician, late Phoolan Devi's husband, Umeed Singh Kashyap today joined the Congress and at least three prominent leaders in Haryana are "waiting to join the party". Announcing this at a press conference here today, Haryana Congress president and former chief minister, Bhajan Lal said that Kashyap's joining the party will "boost" its prospects in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.
He claimed that nationalist congress party's legislator Jagjit Singh Sangwan, Republican Party of India's lone MLA, Karan Singh Dalal and former legislator Raghu Yadav's "applications for joining us have been received. A decision on them can be expected soon," Lal said.
However, both Dalal and Sangwan, told over phone that they had not put up any such application.
"We have not given any application and we do not intend to join the Congress. However, congress will have our support inside the state Assembly and outside it on issues that concern the anti-people decisions and steps of the Chautala government," they said.
Asked how Bhajan Lal had mentioned their names without their knowledge, they said they were not aware about this.
Kashyap, who hails from Sonipat, said that he had earlier contested parliamentary elections against Bhajan Lal on Lok Dal (now INLD) ticket from Karnal in 1998, but lost.
"I have now decided to join Congress because I feel it is the only party which really works for the poor and downtrodden, others only make tall claims," he said.
Asked if Congress will field Umeed as its candidate in future, Bhajan Lal said it was still early days.
Bureau Report