NEW DELHI, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Udit Raj, a lawmaker from India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), on Wednesday joined the opposition National Congress party.
National Congress party president Rahul Gandhi welcomed Raj into party fold.
"Today I joined the Congress party. I am thankful to Rahul Gandhi," Raj wrote on twitter after joining the party.
The National Congress party also posted picture of Raj and Gandhi on twitter welcoming the new entrant.
Insiders in BJP said Raj was denied a ticket by BJP to contest in the ongoing elections from a Delhi constituency.
"I always opposed the BJP's policies," Raj told reporters.
BJP dropped Raj as a candidate and replaced him with singer-politician Hans Raj Hans in the North West Delhi constituency on Tuesday.
Raj, a Dalit activist, had won from the seat in 2014. He had threatened to say "goodbye to the party (BJP)" if he was not given a ticket to contest.
He merged his Indian Justice Party with the BJP in February 2014, just before the election in which the party swept to power.
In the ongoing elections, the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP is seeking to regain power under leadership of Narendra Modi. He is facing tough competition from Rahul Gandhi, the fourth generation scion of India's powerful Nehru-Gandhi clan and regional parties that have forged coalition in several states.
Three phases of staggered seven-phase polling have been conducted and final phase would conclude on May 19. Counting of votes is scheduled on May 23.
