INLD’s lone RS member defects, BJP tally now 76

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 26

Days after four TDP Rajya Sabha members abandoned their party in favour of the BJP, today INLD’s one and only Upper House member Ram Kumar Kashyap walked into the saffron fold praising the leadership and policies of PM Narendra Modi. This has led to speculations about more such switchovers to aid the passage of critical Bills in the RS.

The development follows the switchover by INLD legislators in the Haryana Assembly— Zakir Hussain and Parminder Singh Dhull—to the BJP camp ahead of Assembly poll in Haryana.

Besides Kashyap, a former MP from Kannur in Kerala, AP Abdullakutty, who was expelled from both CPM and the Congress for praising Modi, also joined the BJP in the presence of party’s working president JP Nadda. Abdullakutty was expelled from the CPM in 2009 for praising Modi while he was the Gujarat CM. After that, he joined the Congress, which also sacked him for praising Modi yet again.

Meanwhile, Kashyap, talking to The Tribune, denied any political aspirations or considerations behind the decision. “I am joining the BJP impressed by the style of working of PM Modi. The entire country is impressed with him that is why it gave the BJP such a resounding mandate. I am not joining because I want to contest the poll or have any political ambition. I am in the BJP only for selfless service to the nation,” he said. On whether he had informed the INLD about the decision, he said, “I do not think there is any issue. I was the only member of the party in the House.”