Prominent PDP leader among 500 political, social activists join BJP ahead of Jammu and Kashmir local body polls

Jammu: The trickle of social and political activists towards the BJP appeared to be growing by the day after the negation of Article 370 as the saffron party claimed over 500 people, including a prominent PDP leader and two former bureaucrats, joined the party on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_7089891” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of BJP vice president Avinash Rai Khanna. Image Courtesy: Facebook @avinashrkhanna[/caption] Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) state general secretary Faqir Chand Bhagat, former IAS officer GR Bhagat and former KAS officer Kuldeep Khajuria joined the BJP along with over 500 others in the presence of its national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna in Jammu, a party spokesman said. He said prominent among the 500 political and social activists who joined the party include PDP zonal president and sarpanch Bhagwan Dass Sharma, PDP’s Bishnah youth wing president and district coordinator Bablu Sharma, former Block Development Officer Babadita Sharma and Youth Congress secretary Balraj Singh Charak. Welcoming the new entrants to the party, Khanna said it is the BJP’s policy which is attracting people in large numbers to serve the society better. “The BJP has kept progressing with its agenda of nation building, since the inception of Jana Sangha and followed perfect synchronization between its words and actions. By taking the decisive action on Articles 370, we have delivered on what we promised in our everyday speech,” the BJP leader said. He said the people taught lesson to parties like the Congress, National Conference and PDP in the Panchayat polls last year by massive participation despite the boycott by the regional parties. “In the upcoming Block Development Council (BDC) elections, the BJP has already registered victories on 15 seats in Kashmir alone and we are going to witness heavy polling in the favour of BJP on 24 October,” he said. Khanna said the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are now all set for a massive transformation after 31 October as the novel opportunities await people in the region. He cautioned workers to remain vigilant to frustrate the Opposition parties who are trying to create misgivings among the people on various issues. “We are promise-bound to give statehood back to Jammu and Kashmir once the situation becomes peaceful,” he said.