New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, former Congress leaders Gourav Vallabh and former Bihar president Anil Sharma on Thursday, April 4, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital. 

Former Bihar Congress president Anil Sharma and RJD leader Upendra Prasad also joined the BJP in the presence of its national general secretary Vinod Tawde.

On joining BJP, Gourav Vallabh said, “I posted a letter in the morning on various social media platforms. In that letter, I wrote all the pains of my heart...This has been my view from the beginning that the temple of Lord Shri Ram (in Ayodhya) should be built. An invitation was received and Congress rejected the invitation, I cannot accept it. The leaders of the alliance raised questions on Sanatan, why was Congress not responding to it?

"I  joined BJP today and I hope to use my ability and knowledge to take India forward," said Vallabh, adding that he has always pursued issues-based politics and was attracted to PM Modi's agenda of "Viksit Bharat".

Gourav Vallabh had resigned earlier today citing anti-Sanatan stand of the Congress party, while Anil Sharma had resigned from the Congress over its alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and induction of former MP Pappu Yadav.