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.
He, however, refrained from launching any personal attack on former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav or his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Bhatia joined the party in the presence of BJP National Secretary Bhupendra Yadav and National General Secretary Arun Singh at the party office, and met Amit Shah later.
The BJP didn't comment on what role Bhatia would play.
Bhatia is the General Secretary of the Bar Association of Supreme Court. He is an alumni of Bridgeport University in the United States and Lucknow University from where he did his LLB. He has been spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party for longA BJP Statement
Bhatia said he believes in the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' call of Modi and Shah, and said that the country can develop only under the leadership of the BJP.
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