Ex-Congress Leader Vijai Mankotia Joins BJP

JP Nadda welcomed Vijai Mankotia into the party…

On Tuesday, Former Congress leader Vijai Singh Mankotia joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

BJP National President J P Nadda welcomed him into the party and said, "Mankotia decided to leave Congress and join and serve BJP. I welcome him to the party."

Veteran politician and former Congress leader Major Vijay Singh Mankotia has left the grand old party twice and later announced his retirement from active politics blaming "dirty politics." However, on Tuesday Makotia joined the BJP just ahead of the state assembly polls slated on November 12.

The development came days before the state's Assembly election that is going to commence on November 12, while the counting of the votes will be done on December 8.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rakesh Chaudhary on Thursday filed his nomination to contest from the Dharamshala seat in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Congress in Himachal Pradesh is relying on the former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh's legacy in the state.

On the last day, as many as 376 candidates filed their nominations for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, taking the total to 630 candidates for 68 Assembly seats of the state.

The BJP won 44 seats in the previous Assembly polls while the Congress won 21 seats