On Friday, half a dozen leaders from various parties joined Congress in the presence of Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. The state president of Vikassheel Insan party (VIP) floated by Mukesh Sahni, fishermen’s leader from Bihar and a state minister there, Choudhury Loutan Ram Nishad joined Congress. Nishad had resigned VIP a day before levelling serious allegations on Mukesh Sahni. Besides him, the president of Aligarh Muslim University Salman Imtiyaz too joined Congress on Friday.
Among others who joined Congress were national secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Anil Dalana and Suheldeo Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader Puneet Pathak. Pathak is the son of former UP Minister Bachcha Pathak and hails from eastern UP. Leader of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Seema Devi and Zila Panchayat member Neelam too joined Congress in the presence of Bhupesh Baghel.
On this occasion, the Chhattisgarh CM also launched the membership drive of UP Congress. The Congress in UP has set a target of enrolling one crore new members in the state before assembly polls. The party has given a slogan of Ek Pariwaar Sadasya Chaar (One family & four members) in the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Baghel said that membership drive of Congress has been launched today on Constitution Day and would continue for 15 days till December 10 this year. He said that under this campaign a team of five members has been formed which will enroll new members in Nyay panchayats and wards of each assembly segment. The party has released a telephone number also on which a missed call could enroll you as a member of Congress. Each team formed for membership would enroll at least 25 new members every day and 23000 teams have been formed.
Media convener of UP Congress, Lalan Kumar informed that special camps would be erected at markets, bus and railway stations for the enrollment of new members. To encourage women for Congress membership, special camps would be set up at degree colleges and universities.
