New Delhi, 1 May

TV actor Rupali Ganguly, famous for her roles in TV serials such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Anupamaa, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party here on Wednesday ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Along with Ganguly, Ameya Joshi, a social worker and astrologer from Maharashtra, also joined the BJP at the party headquarters in the presence of senior leaders including national general secretary Vinod Tawde and national media department in-charge Anil Baluni.

Tawde welcomed Ganguly and Joshi into the party fold and used the opportunity to attack the opposition parties over Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Maria Alam's appeal for "vote jihad".

Alam, while seeking votes for the INDIA bloc's candidate from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, called for a "vote jihad," saying it was necessary in the current situation for the minority community to dislodge the BJP from power.

Responding to the SP leader's remarks, Tawde said, "The Opposition, which has been spreading lies, has now started a 'vote jihad' campaign. This shows they are rattled."

He added, "On the one hand they are giving OBC reservation to Muslims, on the other they are talking about 'vote jihad' during elections."

Tawde asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi if the "campaign" was started on the instruction of the party high command.

Addressing the press conference, both Ganguly and Joshi said they have joined the BJP to work for the progress of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.