Former Uttar Pradesh DGP joins Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Just over two months after he retired as the Uttar Pradesh director general of police, Indian Police Service officer Vijay Kumar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday, reported PTI.

The former state police chief’s wife Anupama Kumar also joined the BJP in Lucknow.

Along with them, leaders and workers from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party who had defected to the BJP were also formally inducted into the party.

Vijay Kumar served as the Uttar Pradesh director general of police from May 31, 2023, to January 31, 2024. He is the second director general of police to have joined the BJP in the last decade, according to The Indian Express.

Former state police chief Brij Lal joined the BJP in 2015 and became a Rajya Sabha MP in 2020.

After his induction into the BJP, Vijay Kumar told The Indian Express that he had been intending to enter politics for some time now but pending commitments had not allowed him to do so.

“My wife, who is a homemaker, and I come from non-political backgrounds,” he said. “We are prepared to undertake any responsibilities assigned to us by the party leadership.”

When asked if he is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the former director general of police reiterated that he would follow the party leadership’s direction.

He also...

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