Gorakhpur MP Praveen Nishad joins BJP

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh's Rashtriya Nishad Party, which last week parted ways with the alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), on Thursday became part of NDA and its Gorakhpur MP Praveen Nishad joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He was inducted into the BJP in the presence of Union minister J.P. Nadda, Uttar Pradesh minister Sidharth Nath Singh and Nishad party chief Sanajay Nishad, the father of Praveen Nishad.

"We welcome the leaders of the Nishad party who has joined our alliance. The party has good influence over Poorvanchal area of Uttar Pradesh and would strengthen the party," Nadda said.

Praveen Nishad, as an SP candidate, won the Gorakhpur by-election in 2018 defeating BJP's Upendra Dutt Shukla by over 21,000 votes. The seat was vacated by Yogi Adityanath after becoming the Chief Minister of the state.

Sanjay Nishad said his party would work hard so that Narendra Modi again gets elected as Prime Minister of the country.

Nishad Party had earlier joined the opposition alliance, but ended the allaince last week.

The opposition alliance has fielded former minister and SP leader Ram Bhuwal Nishad as its candidate from Gorakhpur.