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2 UP ex-ministers, former MP join Congress

Raj Rai Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shivganesh Lodhi of the Janatantrik Bahujan Samaj Party, members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, today joined the Congress.

Former Janata Dal MP Harsh Vardhan also joined the Congress in the presence of state party president Salman Khursheed.

Ashok Singh, the BJP member of Parliament from Rae Bareli, joined the Congress two days ago.

Singh and Lodhi were ministers in the Kalyan Singh government till last year. Singh was dismissed after her vote on Kalyan Singh's confidence motion was declared invalid. Lodhi got the boot following allegations of corruption.

Singh was minister of state for institutional finance while Lodhi was minister of state for food and civil supplies.

Later, Singh told reporters she had resigned from the assembly.

She said she was feeling suffocated in the BJP.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address a party convention in the state capital Lucknow tomorrow.

UNI

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