Mamgain, former BJP leaders launch party

Former Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who were denied tickets in the 2012 municipal elections on Friday announced the launch of a separate party called the Progressive Party. HT reports.

Former Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who were denied tickets in the 2012 municipal elections on Friday announced the launch of a separate party called the Progressive Party.

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The party was launched to take on the Congress and the BJP who they accused of failing to deliver on all fronts.

Headed by former municipal councillor Jagdish Mamgain, the party has also roped in some disgruntled Congress workers and is confident of making an impact in the upcoming state elections of 2013.

With the launch of the party, Mamgain is claiming to be building a third front against the two power houses —the Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party.

He claims that while building a party from scratch may take some time, there is a dissent within both the parties and members of both the parties will soon show their support for him.

"We will not be daunted by the presence of the two parties at all. After all where there are 17 states in India in which regional parties have wrenched control from these two national parties. It will take time to get our foothold in Delhi and we're not in a hurry looking for immediate results," said Mamgain, who is the president of party.

For now, the members plan to start building district bodies throughout the capital and conduct functions in the run-up to August 15 Independence Day celebrations.

Ex BJP councillors, Harish Avasthi, Prabha singh, Laxmi Dhasmana, sitting councillor in South Corporation Kalpna Jha, Delhi Congress secretary B D Kandpal, JD(U) Delhi state general secretary Deepak Singh, Vice-President of BJP's district in trans Yamuna area, Naresh Chaudhary are the prominent names who have joined the party.