Three former Congressmen have got the Lok Sabha ticket from BJP, indicating exodus from ranks and files of Congress before the crucial Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, reported the Press Trust of India Wednesday. The three Congressmen who have recently joined BJP and got the tickets of BJP are Bhavsinh Rathod from Patan Lok Sabha seat, Lalji Mer from Surendranagar seat and Debusinh Chauhan from Kheda. Congress' senior tribal leader Samji Damor, who joined BJP recently is also likely to get ticket from Dahod seat, BJP sources said. The exodus of Congress ranks and files to the BJP and their getting tickets under Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's ruling party has blurred the prospects of Congress of retaining 12 seats in the state, which it had won in the 2004 Assembly elections, BJP leaders said. “Workers and leaders of parties like Congress and NCP have joined BJP in large number sensing that party is going to win elections,” state BJP president Purshottam Rupala said. The Congress has however, termed the giving of tickets their former leaders as political bankruptcy on the part of BJP. “This is a political and moral bankruptcy on the part of BJP. This will help Congress as most of the leaders who have been given tickets are useless,” Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia said. Uma buries hatchet A day after BJP rebel Uma Bharti pledged support for L K Advani for prime ministership, the Bharatiya Janshakti Party president today said that she would not put up candidates against the party and would campaign for it in the non-BJP ruled states. “Among politicians, Advani is unparalleled. When I met him recently, I told him I don't want to be a part of BJP and neither have we thought of being a part of NDA. We want to support him selflessly,” Bharti told reporters. Giving a word of advice for sulking Arun Jaitley, Bharti said he should forget “differences” like the way she has “swallowed insults to make Advani Prime Minister.”
