Vajpayee's niece Karuna Shukla formally quits BJP, joins Congress

Karuna Shukla, a niece of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, formally announced on Thursday that she has quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and joined the Congress Party.

Shukla announced her formal resignation from the BJP in the presence of Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi and former Chattisgarh chief Minister and senior party leader Ajit Jogi.

She claimed today that she was quitting the BJP because of being "continuously neglected" by senior party leaders.

"The party organisation has been taken over by those in power. I was continuously neglected in the party due to which I am deeply hurt. The Congress party is democratic, works with people, I appreciate that, and therefore, decided to join them," Shukla was quoted, as saying by ANI.

"After Atalji, BJP's disparity between actions and words has widened. I will strengthen Congress and make it win the 2014 elections," she added.

Shukla is a former BJP Mahila Morcha national president.

Shukla said that over the last few years she was not being consulted on party affairs. She felt particualrly peeved that BJP president Rajnath Singh and national general secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh J P Nadda had even refused to grant her audience.

Both Dwivedi and Jogi welcomed her into the Congress Party.