Ahead of Lok Sabha election, sitting BJP MP Savitribai Phule joins Congress

ANI photo

New Delhi: Sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Savitribai Phule joined Congress on Saturday, barely months ahead of the Lok Sabha election. She was welcomed into the grand old party by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary for UP (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for UP (West) Jyotiraditya Scindia.

In the 2014 general election, Savitribai Phule, then a member of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), was elected from the Baharaich Lok Sabha constituency.

"I have Congress to save constitution of the country. And I will strengthen the hands of Congress party who can stop BJP," Phule told news agency ANI.

On December 6 last year, Phule had resigned from the BJP accusing it of dividing the society and not doing enough on the issue of reservation. She won for the first time from this reserved seat. 

Phule started her career in Bahujan Samaj Party but later joined the BJP.

(With inputs from ANI)