Even as the Congress is struggling to find out its next party president, here is another shocker. One of its senior most leader from Assam and Chief Whip of the party in Rajya Sabha Bhubaneshwar Kalita has joined the BJP. Kalita, who was the chief whip of the party in Rajya Sabha, resigned from his Rajya Sabha post and the Congress Party in protest against the Congress Party stand on the abrogation of the Article 370 and 35 A. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has quickly announced his resignation.
This came as a shock to the Congress Party ahead of the vote on Article 370. Before it could recover and gather its wits, things moved very fast and the bills were approved. Kalita, a senior Congress hand, took the BJP membership on Friday, barely a day before the CWC would meet to decide on the new president of the party.
Kalita is the second Congress MP from Rajya Sabha to join the BJP. The first one was Sanjay Singh of Amethi. His and Kalita's term will expire in 2020. By resigning from the Rajya Sabha and the Congress, they would be elected as BJP Rajya Sabha MPs from their respective states. The BJP has adequate number of votes in both the states, which are BJP ruled.
This came as a shock to the Congress Party ahead of the vote on Article 370. Before it could recover and gather its wits, things moved very fast and the bills were approved. Kalita, a senior Congress hand, took the BJP membership on Friday, barely a day before the CWC would meet to decide on the new president of the party.
Kalita is the second Congress MP from Rajya Sabha to join the BJP. The first one was Sanjay Singh of Amethi. His and Kalita's term will expire in 2020. By resigning from the Rajya Sabha and the Congress, they would be elected as BJP Rajya Sabha MPs from their respective states. The BJP has adequate number of votes in both the states, which are BJP ruled.