LS polls: Actor Rupali Ganguly joins BJP ahead of third phase

Actress Rupali Ganguly officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday (May 1), just before the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde welcomed Ganguly into the party fold and used the opportunity to attack the Opposition parties over Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Maria Alam's appeal for "vote jehad".

Alam, while seeking votes for the INDIA bloc's candidate from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, called for a "vote jehad," saying it was necessary in the current situation for the minority community to dislodge the BJP from power.

Responding to the SP leader's remarks, Tawde said, "The Opposition, which has been spreading lies, has now started a 'vote jehad' campaign. This shows they are rattled." He added, "On the one hand they are giving OBC reservation to Muslims, on the other they are talking about 'vote jehad' during elections." Tawde asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi if the "campaign" was started on the instruction of the party high command.

Ganguly joined the BJP here at the party headquarters in the presence of several other party leaders, including its national media department in-charge Anil Baluni.

(With Agency inputs)