In a major setback to the Congress, the party’s Chhattisgarh working president, Ramdayal Uike, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.

Uike was welcomed into the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah and Chief Minister Raman Singh along with some other leaders in Bilaspur.

“Tribal leaders are neglected and not favoured in the Congress. There is a difference in what they say and what they do,” said Uike after joining the BJP in poll-bound Chhattisgarh.

Uike, who represents Pali-Tanakhar constituency, is considered a popular tribal leader in Bilaspur division. In the state, 18 Naxal-affected constituencies will go to polls in the first phase on November 12, while the rest of the 72 constituencies would go to polls in the second phase on November 20.

In a press conference held in Bilaspur in the presence of the chief minister as well BJP state unit president Dharamlal Kaushik, Uike said, “I had been feeling suffocated in Congress for the last several years. Congress has diverted from its ideology and principles. The CD politics of Congress has tarnished its image. State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel has maligned the image of the party by encouraging the obscene CD politics.”

Uike was apparently referring to a case of circulation of a ‘sex CD’ purportedly featuring a state minister, in which Baghel was named as one of the five accused. He further said his party high command did not pay attention to his demand to remove Baghel from the post of state unit president.

“Congress has neglected the interests of tribals, backward and poor people and I was pained over it as I represent a tribal region. CM Raman Singh has been making efforts for overall development of tribals and backward people and his development oriented policies have impressed me to rejoin my home party,” he said.

Earlier, Uike had quit the BJP and joined the Congress in 2000. He described his return to the ruling party as “ghar wapsi”.

When asked about contesting elections, he said he will follow the directions of the party leadership in this regard.

After the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, Uike who was a BJP MLA from Marwahi seat had joined Congress. He had later vacated his seat to facilitate the entry of Ajit Jogi into the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly after Jogi was sworn-in as first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

According to BJP sources, Uike was not happy after he was ousted from the Congress screening committee and since then he had been in touch with ruling party leadership.

The BJP may field Uike either from Marwahi or Pali Tanakhar – the ST reserved seats, both considered as his stronghold.

(With agency inputs)