Dehradun: Former Congress leader Anukriti Gusain, who participated in the Miss India pageant twice, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today. The Uttarakhand beauty queen-turned-activist-politician quit the Indian National Congress (INC) in March this year, joining several hundred leaders of the party who have switched over to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Anukriti Gusain is the daughter-in-law of Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat from Uttarakhand, who was earlier a part of the BJP before being expelled from the party for six years in 2022. After having quit the Congress last month, Anukriti posted about her joining the BJP on Instagram today. 

Anukriti wrote on Instagram in Hindi alongside several pictures with BJP party members, "@bjp4india आदरणीय @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में विकसित उत्तराखंड के सपने के इस महायज्ञ में अपना योगदान देने के लिए मैं तैयार हूँ । आदरणीय @mahendrabhatbjp जी, आदरणीय @pushkarsinghdhami.uk जी , @bjp.anilbaluni जी,एवं समस्त संगठन का बेहद आभार एवं धन्यवाद🌼 @bjp4uk #BJP #NarendraModi #uttarakhand #betteruttrakhand #AnukritiGusain ."

BJP Uttarakhand State President Mahendra Bhatt can be seen welcoming Anukriti into the party in the pictures. 

Anukriti Gusain participated twice in Miss India

Anukriti had participated in Femina Miss India 2013 and represented the country at the Miss Asia Pacific World 2014, where she was placed the fourth Runner-up. She later won the Femina Miss India Grand International 2017 title and went on to represent India in Miss Grand international in Vietnam.

Anukriti Gusain’s Congress career

Anukriti Gusain had contested the 2022 Assembly Elections from the Lansdowne constituency on a Congress ticket, where she lost the seat to BJP MLA Daleep Singh Rawat, the son of veteran BJP leader Bharat Singh Rawat.

Anukriti joining the BJP comes after Harak Singh Rawat was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2024 in connection with a forest scam at the Pakhro Wildlife Sanctuary of Jim Corbett National Park in 2019. Anukriti had also reportedly faced some scrutiny in the case.

Her father-in-law was expelled from the Uttarakhand BJP in 2022 for six years due to disciplinary issues, after which Rawat and Gusain had joined the Congress.