JOIN USTaking advantage of a feud in the royal family of Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the BJP has succeeded in netting Congress Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh's son Anant Vikram Singh in an apparent bid to corner Rahul
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Anant, who has been engaged in a dispute over property with his father Sanjay Singh, has announced that he will join the BJP shortly. Anant is the son of Sanjay Singh's first wife Garima.
Anant said he had spoken to UP BJP chief Luxmi Kant Bajpai in this regard. He is likely to join the party with his supporters on Sunday. “I am only fulfilling the wishes of the people of Amethi and my grandfather,” he said.
BJP sources here said the party would stand to gain immensely on Rahul's turf if Anant joined. “The royal family still commands a lot of respect in Amethi,” said a senior state BJP leader here.
Sources close to the royal family said Anant's decision was prompted more by the desire to oust Sanjay Singh politically from Amethi.
Sanjay is currently an MP from Assam. His second wife Amita had represented the Amethi Assembly seat earlier. She lost the 2012 polls to a Samajwadi Party candidate.