Former union minister RPN Singh joins BJP

New Delhi, Jan 25: Former union minister RPN Singh on Tuesday quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Anurag Thakur, and Jyotiraditya Scindia were present along with UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and other leaders here at the party’s headquarters. Earlier in the day, Singh resigned from the Congress. “This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda & Honourable Home Minister Amit Shah ji,” RPN Singh said in a tweet. Talking to media after joining the party, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has linked the ancient history of the country with modern times. He alleged that Congress is not the same party anymore. “I was in a party for 32 years, but it is not the same party anymore, nor is ideology the same,” he said. Lauding the works done by Uttar Pradesh government, he said, “UP is the heart of India, if there is development in UP the country will develop”. He also said the BJP government has improved law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. Singh was an MP from Kushinagar constituency in 15th Lok Sabha. He was the Minister of State for Home during UPA-2 government.