Former dacoit Malkhan Singh on Wednesday joined the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections will likely be held in a few months.
Malkhan Singh was known as a dreaded dacoit in the state's Chambal region for two decades before he surrendered in 1982.
After joining the Congress in the presence of the party's state chief Kamal Nath and leader of opposition Dr Govind Singh here, the former bandit said the BJP will be wiped out from the Gwalior-Chambal region in the upcoming assembly polls.
On the occasion, Mr Nath accused the ruling BJP of creating fear and terror among the people during its two-decades-long rule. He said people have made up their minds to vote out the BJP government.
Sporting a handlebar moustache, Malkhan Singh told reporters that he always worked against injustice and had campaigned for the BJP earlier.
Accusing the ruling regime of failing to control crimes against women, he said BJP leaders have created terror among the people.
A Congress press release said that former education department official Santosh Sharma also joined the party along with 1,200 supporters.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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