Jammu and Kashmir's BSP general secretary A S Mottan and 16 others, including retired officers, sarpanches and social activists, joined the Congress on Tuesday in the presence of state Congress chief and former tourism minister Gulam Ahmed Mir.
Mr Mottan was accompanied by his supporters, who joined the Congress too at an event at the party's headquarters in Shahidi Chowk.
Mr Mir admitted them into the Congress fold and expressed hopes that the party will be benefitted as a result of the new joining.
Mr Mottan has contested the assembly elections twice on BSP tickets from the RS Pura assembly constituency. He is also the president of the J&K Batwal Sudhar Sabha.
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