New Delhi: Anand Verma, son of former Sitapur MP and MLA Babu Hargovind Verma, joined the Indian National Congress at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, citing his support for the party’s policies and its campaign for social justice.
Anand Verma, who has previously served as a block pramukh and has remained active in social work, belongs to the Kurmi community. His brother Anil Verma is the sitting MLA from Laharpur. His entry into the Congress marks a significant political development involving a prominent political family from Uttar Pradesh.
Anand Verma was formally inducted into the party by Anil Jai Hind, National Chairman of the AICC’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) Department, and Rajendra Pal Gautam, Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge.
Welcoming Anand Verma, Rajendra Pal Gautam said the Congress family was expanding steadily as people supporting social justice were joining the party. He said Rahul Gandhi had launched a struggle for social justice and was fighting the BJP government for the rights of Dalits. He expressed confidence that Anand Verma’s entry would strengthen the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
Anil Jai Hind said the Congress movement was gaining momentum as people from the backward classes were responding to the party’s campaign for justice. He alleged that the Modi government had failed the OBC community and said Rahul Gandhi was working to address the concerns of socially disadvantaged sections.
Speaking on the occasion, Anand Verma expressed gratitude to Rahul Gandhi, Anil Jai Hind and Rajendra Pal Gautam. He said his family had always been committed to social justice and recalled that his father had begun this work in 1967. He said he was joining the Congress because Rahul Gandhi was carrying forward that legacy and giving him an opportunity to become part of the party’s struggle for social justice.
Members of the Uttar Pradesh OBC Congress, including Manoj Yadav, Rahul Prajapati, Vijay Bahadur Yadav, Shailendra, Vijay Rawat and Somendra Verma, were present during the membership ceremony along with other party workers.
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