Rita Bahuguna Joshi joining BJP is the final nail in the coffin for Congress: Keshav Prasad Maurya

Following Rita Bahuguna Joshi's move to cut ties with the Congress party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya on 20 October said that Joshi will help the party win the election and act as a final nail in the coffin for Congress.

"Those who are Nationalist and development oriented are aware that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the development work can gain pacet hat is why several leaders from SP, BSP and Congress are joining the BJP. I whole heatedly welcome Rita Bahuguna who has joined the BJP family and I can say with confidence that with the inclusion of Rita Bahugna, the party will gain immense benefit," Maurya said.

Maurya also took pot shots at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, saying under his leadership the party will not only lose its presence in UP but also in the nation.

"He usually talks a lot about farmers but he has no knowledge about them. The Congress', under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi has been getting smaller not only in UP but also in the whole nation," he said.

Confident of winning the election, Maurya claimed that BJP will get more than 300 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

Bahuguna Joshi is not the only person from an opposition party to join BJP. BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya also joined the saffron party in August. So far, the party has inducted 10 MLAs from BSP, three from Congress and one from SP.

--ANI