Dehradun: Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of popular playback singer Jubin Nautiyal and a former BJP leader, has joined the Congress party. The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttarakhand.
Joins Congress in Presence of Senior Leaders
Nautiyal took the party membership in the presence of several Congress leaders, including Kumari Selja and Gurdeep Singh Sappal. Selja is the Congress general secretary and in-charge of Uttarakhand.
Selja and the other leaders welcomed him by placing the traditional Congress scarf around his neck. Nautiyal thanked everyone present by offering them bouquets.
Who Is Ramsharan Nautiyal?
Nautiyal contested the 2022 Assembly election from the Chakrata seat in Uttarakhand on a BJP ticket. He is also widely known as the father of Jubin Nautiyal, one of the country’s popular playback singers.
This is not his first time in the Congress. He was earlier a member of the party and has served as the president of the Dehradun Zila Panchayat.
Before he joined the Congress, reports had said that he had left the BJP. The BJP state president had denied those reports at the time, and many people were watching closely to see what his next political step would be.
Selja Attacks BJP Over SIR and Election Commission
At the event, Kumari Selja used the occasion to target the BJP. Speaking about alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, she said democracy was being “torn apart” across the country.
She said questions were being raised about the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She also noted that Rahul Gandhi has been repeatedly raising the issue of “vote chori” (vote theft). According to Selja, it was not just the opposition, the public and Rahul Gandhi who had questioned the SIR. Two election commissioners had also registered objections, she claimed.
“Dictatorship” Charge
Selja went on to say there is an atmosphere of dictatorship and that the country has a dictator government. She claimed that the INDIA bloc tried to go to the Election Commission office in Delhi but was not allowed to meet the Chief Election Commissioner.
She added that INDIA bloc MPs also tried to meet the President. However, only a delegation of ten people was allowed to meet her, while the rest of the MPs were stopped at Vijay Chowk.
These are claims made by the Congress leader. The BJP’s response to them was not part of the report.
What It Means
Nautiyal’s entry gives the Congress a well-known face in Uttarakhand just ahead of the polls. His earlier time in the Congress and his experience as a Zila Panchayat president may also help the party in the Dehradun region. How much impact he will have on the election will become clear in the coming months.
