Cricketer turned politician and former BJP leader Kirti Azad, who was suspended by the party in 2015, joined the Congress on Monday at a function in New Delhi. Congress President Rahul Gandhi was present on the occasion.
Azad, who is the son of former Chief Minister of Bihar, Bhagwat Jha Azad, is currently serving his third term in the Lok Sabha after he won from Darbhanga, Bihar in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.
He announced his joining on Twitter. He also said that he felicitated Gandhi in the traditional Mithila style.
आज सुबह कांग्रेस के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi जी ने मुझे कांग्रेस की सदस्यता ग्रहण कराई मैंने मिथिला की परंपरा में उनको मखाना की माला, पाग, चादर से सम्मानित किया।
Today in front of Shri Rahul Gandhi I joined the Congress I felicitated him in traditional Mithila style pic.twitter.com/B9DQwCM207— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) February 18, 2019
“Today in front of Shri Rahul Gandhi I joined the Congress I felicitated him in traditional Mithila style,” he tweeted.
Azad was suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party on December 23, 2015, after he openly targeted Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities and corruption in Delhi’s cricket body Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
Azad, who was the member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, was scheduled to officially join the Congress on Friday but the programme was cancelled in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack.
Azad had tweeted about his formally joining the Congress in the morning.
Good morning today 18th February I will be joining @INCIndia in front of @RahulGandhi ji and my press conference will be held at AICC headquarters 24 Akbar Road in Delhi at 1 p.m.
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) February 18, 2019
After he was suspended by the BJP, the Congress “invited” him to join the party. “He should join the Congress. His father was a Congressman. Congress blood runs through his veins,” Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad had said back in 2015.