Ex-MLC Surinder Choudhary joins NC after year-long association with BJP

Jammu, Jul 7 (PTI) Former Jammu and Kashmir MLC Surinder Choudhary joined the National Conference here on Tuesday, ending over a year-long association with the BJP.

He had quit Peoples Democratic Party on March 30 last year and crossed over to the BJP within a week in the presence of senior leaders including the party’s national general secretary Tarun Chug and Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina.

Earlier in the day, Choudhary his decision to quit the BJP through a tweet while accusing the Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief of encouraging familism and corruption. Choudhary had lost to Raina in the Nowshera Assembly constituency of Rajouri district in the 2014 assembly polls.

Welcoming Choudhary and his supporters to the National Conference, the party’s vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah accused the BJP is using state machinery to browbeat those who want to leave the party and join the NC.

“You cannot think of the pressure which was put on Choudhary to stop him from joining the National Conference. Officers who are supposed to serve the public are being used to put pressure on the BJP’s opponents. I want to tell the officers that this is not your job and this administration is not going to stay forever,” Omar Abdullah said while addressing a huge gathering on the occasion.
He claimed that a leader of a regional party had decided to join the National Conference recently but was forced to give up succumbing to the pressure from the BJP even though he is not affiliated with the party.

“This is what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving people distressed,” Omar Abdullah said and asked party workers to step up their activities in every nook and corner of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Our responsibility is to reach out to the people, stand with them and bring back smiles on their faces to pull Jammu and Kashmir out of this cesspool,” the NC vice-president said.

He said Choudhary started his political career at the National Conference in 1995 and with his rejoining, the party will strengthen further at the grass-root level. The former MLC thanked the National Conference and pledged not to leave the party again.

He slammed the BJP over its claims of development and restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and said he is ready for a debate with the saffron party leaders to expose their claims.