Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 27 (ANI): Hours after expelled Congress leader Kishore Upadhyay joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that he is sad to witness the former's downfall.

Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, "I am sad. I am hurt to see such a downfall of him."

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Notably, former Uttarakhand Congress Chief Kishore Upadhyay joined the BJP today in Dehradun after he was expelled by Congress on Wednesday for "anti-party activities".

Speaking on the change in the constituency from where he will contest Uttarakhand elections, Rawat said, "It is our duty to consider the party's command supreme. I have carried out my duty."

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Rawat will contest the assembly polls from Lalkuwa, instead of Ramnagar. The Congress on Wednesday released its third list of candidates in which the party has changed the seat of Harish Singh Rawat and four other leaders.

The change has been done after the crisis within the party due to infighting among the leaders, as one of the working presidents of Uttarakhand Congress Ranjeet Rawat was uncomfortable with the candidature of Harish Rawat from Ramnagar Assembly Constituency.

Notably, Congress has given the ticket to the daughter of Harish Rawat, Anupama Rawat from Hardwar Rural constituency defying its own policy of 'one seat, one family'.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand is slated to go to the Assembly polls on February 14 and the counting of the votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)