Former BJP Leader Nighat Abbas and Bhagirath Manjhi Join Congress .
On Tuesday at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in New Delhi, Congress welcomed former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nighat Abbas and Bhagirath Manjhi, son of Dashrath ‘Mountain Man’ Manjhi, into the party. This is significant considering the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The event was also attended by Pawan Khera, AICC media and publicity in-charge, and Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh. As per Congress, the members were attracted towards the vision and the ideology of the party.
New Entries into Congress
At the occasion, several prominent personalities were welcomed into the Congress fold:
.Bhagirath Manjhi, son of the legendary Dashrath Manjhi, who is known for single-handedly carving a road through a mountain.
. Ali Anwar Ansar, former Rajya Sabha MP, National President of All India Pasmanda Muslim Society, and who has devoted over three decades to the Pasmanda community.
. Nighat Abbas, former spokesperson of the BJP.
. Dr. Jagdish Prasad, a renowned heart surgeon and awardee of Padma Shri.
. Nishant Anand, former national Aam Admi party spokesperson.
. Manoj Prajapati, State President, All India Prajapati Kumbhar Sangh, Bihar.
. Frank Huzur, author.
Leaders’ Comments
Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Bihar Congress President, is hopeful that the new entrants will reinforce the party.
He underscored Ali Anwar’s indefatigable efforts towards the Pasmanda community and asserted that their participation will certainly benefit Congress, especially in the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections towards the end of the year.
Nighat Abbas gave some insights into her switch to Congress, noting that the marginalization of Muslims to the status of a secondary citizens was aggravated by the BJP. That is where they were able to find resonance within Congress; it’s all reasonable and interactive including the poor. “If we stay united, we staunch. Congress works towards the overall growth of the country,” she stated.
The Congress Party views these new additions as a bonus to its activities in the party for any forthcoming elections as well as a stamp of affirmation of its ethos and philosophy of inclusion.