M.J Akbar, N.K. Singh join BJP

Noted journalist and author M.J. Akbar and former revenue secretary N.K. Singh, who was with the Janata Dal-United, Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Party president Rajnath Singh welcomed Akbar and N.K. Singh into the party fold at separate events.

"Social activists, retired military officers and actors have become members of the party. Today (Saturday), veteran journalist M.J. Akbar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party," Rajnath Singh said at a press conference at the party office here.

This would be Akbar's second innings in politics.

Akbar, the founder of The Asian Age - an English daily - was a Congress parliamentarian from 1989 to 1991 during which he represented Kishanganj in Bihar.

He lost in 1991.

Currently, Akbar edits The Sunday Guardian - a weekly newspaper.

N.K. Singh, a former bureaucrat, joined the BJP at Rajnath Singh's residence.

He said the Bihar government was worried about its survival and the pace of development in the state had been affected after the JD-U pulled out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.