Dehradun: State cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Satpal Maharaj on Wednesday rubbished rumours that a BJP leader is going to join the Congress during Rahul Gandhi’s much-awaited visit to Dehradun on March 16.Speaking with TOI over the phone, Maharaj said, “I am not such a leader who changes sides like this. I am not expecting a ticket from the Pauri seat for myself or my wife. It is a sick political gimmick of the Congress leaders to grab headlines, otherwise they have no substance.” Addressing mediapersons at his Delhi residence, Maharaj attacked the Congress for spreading lies to mislead voters in Uttarakhand. “The Congress has no leaders right now so they are coming up with such a hare-brained move to deflect the attention of the people and to hide their incompetence. They came up with this ugly gimmick to hurt those who joined the BJP, knowing fully well that we are with Modiji and the BJP,” he said. Maharaj, a former MP from Pauri, had joined the BJP in March 2014. Since Monday rumours of a BJP leader joining the Congress were doing the rounds and the needle of suspicion had hit three BJP leaders — Harak Singh Rawat, Vijay Bahuguna and Satpal Maharaj. In the press meet, Maharaj added, “I challenge Congress to name the BJP leader who is joining their party. They are misleading the people deliberately to bring crowd for Rahul’s event.”

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