Himachal BJP ex-chief Khimi Ram joins Congress

New Delhi, July 12

Khimi Ram, a former president of the Himachal BJP, joined the Congress in the presence of AICC secretary in-charge of the state Rajeev Shukla here today. He said the Congress would form the government after the Assembly elections due later this year.

Khimi Ram is a former minister and former Deputy Speaker of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha.

He said, “I am not joining the Congress out of anger for the BJP. I have taken a well-considered decision to take the Congress forward in Himachal Pradesh.”

He added that he was confident that the Congress would form the government in the state. He accused the BJP of corruption. Pending employee issues, including related to the old pension scheme, were going to cost the BJP dear, he claimed.

Khimi Ram began his political career as a Zila Parishad chief in 2000. He won Assembly elections twice and served as a minister and later Deputy Speaker. He was the Himachal BJP president for three years when Nitin Gadkari was the national president of the party. He became a minister in Himachal in 2011.