By IANS,
New Delhi : A day after the Congress party ruled out the possibility of poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, senior Samajwadi Party leader Saleem Sherwani Thursday joined the Congress party.
“My family had a history of association with the Congress party even during the freedom struggle. It’s like home coming for me,” Sherwani said at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office here while making an announcement of joining the Congress.
Sherwani, a sitting MP from the Budaun constituency, said that the main reason for leaving the Samajwadi Party was that he had been denied a ticket from Budaun without even consulting him.
“I was not given a ticket, but what had hurt me more was that I came to know of it through television. There were no discussions before giving a ticket to Dharmender Yadav, nephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav (from Badaun),” Sherwani said.
Asked what would he do if the Congress too did not give him a ticket, Sherwani said: “I want to serve the people of my constituency and I needed a platform which is provided by the Congress. I have come here for this platform, not for the ticket.”
Sherwani, who has been an MP for five terms was union minister of state, health and family welfare in 1996-97 and union minister of state for external affairs in 1997-98.