Praising BJP's 'discipline', Krishna Tirath formally switches parties

Praising the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'discipline', former union minister and Congress leader Krishna Tirath on Monday formally joined the party, vowing to continue her work towards the upliftment of the oppressed.

"Whatever work I have done, whether for the city or for the country, whatever post I have held, I have always had only one aim: how to be of service to the oppressed. And, I have never held back from doing so," Tirath told the media, while accepting a BJP scarf from the party's Delhi unit chief, Satish Upadhyay.

"I thought at great length about the discipline that the BJP has, and finally I decided to move to further help with the upliftment of the oppressed. The BJP has always thought of the upliftment of the oppressed and I will give my best efforts in doing so," she added.

Tirath had earlier in the day fuelled rumours of switching allegiances after meeting party chief Amit Shah in the national capital.

According to media reports, a disgruntled Tirath had earlier sought a Congress Party ticket for one of her children to contest in the Delhi state assembly elections, but the central leadership of the party rejected the request.

Till now, she was representing the North West Delhi constituency of Delhi as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).

She began her political career as a M.L.A in Delhi and was a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly from 1984-2004. In 1998, she became the Minister for Social Welfare, SC and ST and Labour and Employment in the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government.