Dehradun, Jan 5 (PTI) In a setback to the Congress ahead of the urban local body polls in Uttarakhand, several senior party leaders, including state unit vice-president Mathura Dutt Joshi, joined the BJP.

Joshi was said to be sulking after the party high command denied his wife the ticket for the mayoral seat in Pithoragarh.

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Other leaders who crossed over to the BJP are former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) vice-president Bittu Karnataka and two-time former district panchayat president Jagat Singh Khati.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Pradesh BJP president Mahendra Bhatt welcomed the leaders into the saffron fold at the party's state office here on Saturday.

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Describing the leaders who crossed over as hardworking and capable people, Dhami expressed confidence that the BJP would benefit from their energy and experience in the civic elections.

There is no value for capable and good people in the Congress, the chief minister said.

Bhatt said the BJP would take care of the new leader's self-respect.

The common reason offered by the leaders who crossed over was the Congress' inability to give due respect to dedicated party workers.

Joshi said he joined the BJP as there was no appreciation for honest party workers in the Congress.

"I worked with full honesty and ability in the Congress but there is no appreciation for all this. So I have taken membership of the BJP. I will continue to serve the party with full dedication for the rest of my life," he said.

Urban local body polls in Uttarakhand are scheduled for January 23.

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