By IANS,
Raipur : The Congress party Monday received a blow in Chhattisgarh as its former legislator and tribal leader Gopal Ram joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ram announced his decision in the presence of Chief Minister Raman Singh at a party function in the Surguja district.
Though the Congress did not comment on Ram’s decision, the BJP said it would gain in the Surguja Lok Sabha seat where Ram enjoys good support of the people.
Meanwhile, Raman Singh called upon the cadres to make door-to-door visits to meet each voter across the state and ensure the party wins all 11 seats that go to polls April 16.
In the 2004 polls, the BJP won 10 seats while the Congress bagged one.
The party’s strength was later reduced to nine with the Congress winning the Rajnandgaon by-election after BJP MP Pradeep Gandhi was expelled following a sting operation that exposed the cash-for-questions scam.