‘Demolition man’ Alphons joins BJP (Lead)
March 24th, 2011 - 7:07 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 24 (IANS) K.J. Alphons, an independent Kerala legislator and former bureaucrat who earned the ‘demolition man’ sobriquet during his tenure as the head of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), joined the BJP Thursday and was made a member of its national executive.
“Of course, I weighed all the options and I felt BJP was the best bet because my primary concern is development,” Alphons told IANS after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari welcomed him at the party office in Delhi.
He also said he had been made a member of the BJP’s national executive.
Asked where he would be based, Alphons said: “Since communication facilities are there, it is immaterial where I am based. If I am asked to campaign for my party in my state, I will be certainly in the forefront.”
Last week, Alphons, an independent legislator backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), surprised many when he decided not to contest the April 13 Kerala polls from the Poonjar assembly seat in Kottayam district.
He said he did not want his capabilities to be “tied down to just one constituency”.
He was supported by the Left Democratic Front at the 2006 polls, where he trounced Congress leader Joseph Vazhaken by over 10,000 votes.
He earned the title of ‘demolition man’ when he headed the DDA in the 1990s and demolished more than 14,000 illegal constructions in the national capital.
- 'Demolition man' Alphons joins BJP - Mar 24, 2011
- 'Demolition man' Alphons not to contest Kerala polls - Mar 17, 2011
- 'Demolition man' heads for second stint in Delhi - Sep 28, 2011
- 'Demolition man' Alphons turns master builder in Kerala - Dec 26, 2009
- Seven vs seven: 14 legislators fight each other in Kerala - Apr 04, 2011
- Government doing its best to root out corruption: Prime Minister - Apr 09, 2011
- Kerala mulls law to protect diaspora investors - Oct 12, 2011
- Three leaders desert UDF camp in Kerala - Mar 21, 2011
- Kerala legislator readies for 12th victory - Apr 05, 2011
- Oommen Chandy's enviable innings - 40 years as legislator - Sep 14, 2010
- Munda caught between falling buildings and grumbling leaders - Apr 20, 2011
- Kerala legislator gets death threats over graft issues - Sep 22, 2010
- BJP wins simple majority in Goa - Mar 06, 2012
- Antony confident of UDF victory in Kerala - Apr 13, 2011
- Goa whizkid helps BJP campaign in Kerala - Apr 08, 2011
Tags: assembly seat, best bet, bureaucrat, communication facilities, communist party of india, communist party of india marxist, congress leader, constituency, delhi development authority, delhi development authority dda, democratic front, demolition man, illegal constructions, janata party, kerala, legislator, national executive, nitin, sobriquet, thiruvananthapuram