HP MLA snaps ties with Cong, merges his outfit with BJP

Independent MLA from Shimla's Chopal assembly seat Balbir Singh Verma, who has been associated with the Congress for more than four years, merged his Chopal Vikas Manch with the BJP today.

The development came ahead of the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, slated for later this year.

Verma announced his decision to merge his outfit with the BJP at a function at Nerwa in Chopal in the presence of former chief minister and leader of the opposition in the assembly Prem Kumar Dhumal and state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti.

He claimed that many Congress MLAs were likely to leave the party and join the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.

Dhumal welcomed Verma and members of the Manch to the BJP and said that it would strengthen the party in the hill state.

The BJP had in 2014 filed a petition with the Speaker against Verma and three other Independents, seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law for allegedly becoming associate members of the Congress.

The petition has been pending disposal.

The Congress had accused Verma of betraying the people of Chopal and said that the people would never forgive him.

At present, there are 36 MLAs in the 68-member House supporting the Virbhadra Singh government, besides three Independent MLAs.

The BJP has a strength of 27 after the lone Himachal Lokhit Party MLA joined the BJP in August last year.

One seat (Bhoranj) is lying vacant and by-election to the seat is slated for April 9.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)