DURG (Chhattisgarh): In the presence of Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Padma Shri recipient and singer Usha Barle joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday ahead of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.
Barle joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leader Saroj Pandey and Vijay Baghel, BJP candidate against the Chief Minister. It may be recalled that during his visit to Chhattisgarh’s Durg district recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met with Barle.
“I have been thinking of joining the BJP for the last some time. However, I was earlier engaged in the election campaign of former CM Raman Singh, former minister Brijmohan Agrawal and others,” said Barle while talking to media persons.
Meanwhile, she also expressed gratitude towards Union Minister Amit Shah for visiting her house during the latter’s last visit.
The Padma Shri recipient expressed her desire to contest elections from any SC reserve seat and was confident of winning the election.
On being asked about the reason for selecting the BJP, the folk artist said that after receiving the prestigious Padma Shri award, no one from Congress contacted her, therefore she decided to enter BJP.
Earlier in June, Amit Shah met Padma Shri Pandwani singer, Usha Barle, in Chhattisgarh’s Durg, as part of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Maha Jansampark Abhiyan’.
In March, this year, Usha Barle was conferred with the Padma Shri, the third-highest civilian honour.
Usha Barle has received training in Pandwani from renowned Pandwani singer and Padma Vibhushan Teejanbai.
Barle has performed Pandwani in various states of India and beyond, including London and New York. She also won the gold medal six times in Girodhpuri Tapobhoomi.
Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram are set to go for Assembly polls later this year, followed by general elections in 2024. (ANI)