Former Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, who had quit the party in the run up to Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Bhatia, who was additional advocate general of the Uttar Pradesh government during the SP rule and one of the prominent faces of the party in television debates, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah inspired him to join the BJP. He quit as SP spokesperson on 5 February.
Bhatia, who is a Supreme Court lawyer, said:
The SP was moving away from the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia. There is no value of loyalty and sincerity and it has been surrendered to dynastic politics.