Ahead of Chhattisgarh polls, Congress MLA Ram Dayal Uike joins BJP
October 13, 2018 14:48In a blow to the Congress, Ram Dayal Uike Saturday joined the BJP in the presence of its chief Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh. Shah is on a two-day visit to the state ahead of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections on November 12. Uike, who was a member of the BJP before joining the Congress, described the induction as ghar vapsi.
An Adivasi leader, Uike was elected MLA of Pali Tanakhar in 2013 after winning with a margin of over 28,000 votes. He was appointed Congress Working President in January this year. He had left the BJP in 2000 and was inducted into the Congress by Ajit Jogi.
In Chhattisgarh, Shah plans to meet Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati in Bilaspur, where she is campaigning for the BSP-Chhattisgarh Janata Congress alliance.
Known for passing controversial remarks, Uike had addressed a gathering in April, where he reportedly said Congress would throw BJP out of power from Chhattisgarh and would resort to sticks and bullets if needed.