'BJP didn't give me ticket as I supported Dalit protest,' says MP Udit Raj after flipping to Congress

Udit Raj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, resigned from his post and formed the Indian Justice Party in 2003.

NEW DELHI: After being denied a Lok Sabha ticket, sitting MP from the reserved northwest Delhi parliamentary seat, Udit Raj on Wednesday quit the Bharatiya Janta Party. After quitting the party, he met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and joined the INC. Shortly after joining INC, Raj alleged that BJP wants Dalit votes and not a Dalit leader. Congress party spokesperson said, "Modi has been vindictive against anyone in his party who has stood up for Dalits." “BJP cut my ticket because I lent support to the Dali protest on April 2, 2018. My only mistake was I could not remain deaf and mute. They made Ramnath Kovind the President because he chose to remain silent,” Raj charged. Earlier on Wednesday, he accused the BJP of ignoring the hard work of ticket aspirants and instead of depending on some "inscrutable internal standards". Raj's statement came hours after the BJP dropped him as a candidate for the May 12 polls and fielded in his place singer Hans Raj Hans from the North West Delhi seat. Hans, who is now contesting from North West Delhi seat, resigned as vice chairperson of National Commission for Safai Karmchari (NCSK) to contest the polls on BJP ticket. He is pitted against Congress candidate Rajesh Lilothia and AAP's Guggan Singh on the seat, in a triangular contest. Raj had claimed that Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari had assured him a few months ago that he will be fielded from the North West seat. Udit Raj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, resigned from his post and formed the Indian Justice Party in 2003. He later merged his Indian Justice Party with the BJP in 2014. He contested the 2014 election on BJP ticket and won. The MP has been a vocal supporters of Dalits and has often held views contrary to the party's stand, especially during the Sabarimala issue and 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit organisations last year. (agency inputs)