Former BJP MP from Bihar's Purnea joins Congress, may contest Lok Sabha poll

PATNA: In a setback for the BJP, Uday Singh, a former MP of the party from Bihar's Purnea district, on Wednesday quit the BJP and joined the Congress. It is expected that Singh would contest the Lok Sabha poll from the Purnea seat.

"I have joined the Congress and will do whatever the party will ask me to do," Singh said at a press meet at the Congress headquarters here.

Talking about his decision to quit the BJP, Singh said he was happy to return to the Congress. Singh said that he had decided to join the BJP in 2014 following the request of then BJP leader and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Singh had contested in 2014 from Purnea and won. 

He resigned from the BJP in January, saying: "I had joined the BJP in 2004 under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but the party is no more strong as it was and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also declined."

Sources said that Singh was unhappy with the BJP's decision to enter into an alliance with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) sending a message that the saffron party has decided to give the Purnea seat to JD-U.

(with IANS inputs)