Karnal: In yet another jolt to the Indian National Congress (INC) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Arvind Kumar Sharma, a senior leader from Haryana, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. This development comes a day after veteran Congressman Tom Vadakkan who was also considered to be a close aide of Sonia Gandhi joined the BJP.

The development  is seen as a major blow to Congress party's poll equation in Haryana as Sharma was a two-time MP from the Karnal constituency. It is notable that Sharma had quit the Congress to join the BSP during the Assembly elections in 2014. He had been declared the chief ministerial candidate by BSP supremo Mayawati.

Tom Vadakkan who besides being the Congress party spokesperson for 15 years was also a member of National Central Film Censor Board and a delegated Member of Kerala Film Censor Board. In 2009, Kerala Congress had faced revolt over Vadakkan’s Thrissur candidature.

Congress party's 2019 poll preparations have taken a major dent with some of their prominent faces joining the BJP. On March 12, Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of the leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. Reportedly, the development comes after NCP chief Sharad Pawar, whose party is in alliance with the Congress in the state, declined Sujay’s request to contest the polls from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat.

"I am impressed with PM Modi's leadership. We can count on BJP," Sujay said while addressing reporters after joining BJP. He had said, "I've taken this decision against my father’s wishes. I don’t know how much my parents will support this decision, but I'll try my best to make my family proud by working under the guidance of BJP. CM and other BJP MLAs were supportive and helped me take the decision."