Senior BJP leader Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri joined the Congress on Saturday at a rally in Dehradun in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi.

Welcoming him into the party fold, Gandhi said him joining the Congress will strengthen the party.

Speculation is rife that the Congress might field Manish Khanduri from Pauri, a Lok Sabha seat held by his father.

Speaking on the occasion, Manish said, "I believe that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Congress will make the country stronger. Before coming here, I sought the blessings of my father. He asked me if I can walk on path of truth, I said, 'yes’."

BC Khanduri, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, was removed last year as chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on defence.

The Congress had latched on to the removal of the former army general from the committee to attack the BJP. 

Attacking the BJP on the move to remove him from the panel, Mr Gandhi said, "I will tell you why he is here today. You all know his father very well. He was the Chairman of Parliament Defence Committee. But when he asked a question on national security in Parliament and spoke the truth that the way government should help Army, it is not there, then he was removed from the Chairmanship of that Committee."

The Congress president also met the family of Major Chitresh Singh Bisht at his residence in Dehradun. Major Bisht lost his life on February 16 while defusing an IED which was planted by terrorists across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

(With PTI inputs)