Devender Singh Rana, who resigned from primary membership of the National Conference on Sunday, said there was a need for strengthening of the Jammu declaration.

Hours after quitting as the provincial president of the NC, Rana said the declaration will become a voice for Jammu and Kashmir and strengthen the Union territory and the country.

“For this, I have changed my political path,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI in Delhi. Rana is scheduled to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its headquarters in the national capital on Monday.

The businessman-turned-politician is switching over along with Surjeet Singh Slathia, who too sent his resignation to NC president Farooq Abdullah earlier in the day.

Also read | Speculations rife over Devender Singh Rana quitting National Conference

The NC said both the resignations had been accepted. “Dr Farooq Abdullah has received and accepted the resignations of Salathia and Mr Rana. No further action or comment is deemed necessary,” the party wrote on its official Twitter handle.

Only days ago, Rana had said he was still with the NC after a meeting with Abdullah and his son, also NC vice president Omar Abdullah, at their Gupkar residence.

Rana is the younger brother of minister of state (independent charge) for the ministry of science and technology Jitendra Singh. In 2014, Rana and Slathia had won from the Nagrota and Vijaypur constituencies, respectively.

The two turncoats will be joining the saffron camp in the presence of BJP’s general secretary, Arun Singh, MP Jugal Kishore, J&K chief Ravinder Raina and Jitendra Singh.