A.P.J. Sheikh Salim, the grand nephew of late former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Party president Amit, Shah East Delhi MP Mahesh Giri and general secretary Arun Singh were present at the occasion.
Salim is the grandson of former president's elder brother A.P.J. Marakaiyer.
Sources told the Times of India that Salim came into prominence in July last during the burial service for Kalam in Rameshwaram when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the bereaved family members to offer his condolences, sources said.
The newspaper quoted the Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president M Chakravarthy saying, "it is a positive development which will enhance the image of the organization among minorities and strengthen it ahead of the assembly elections."
Speaking to The Hindu, he said,“I wanted to join the party last year as well and had discussed it with my grand uncle. He was in favour of my joining, but somehow I could not hit upon the right moment to do so.”
“This time, everything was optimum for my joining,” he said.
He added that he had not made up his mind whether he would contest the 2016 Assembly polls in the State. “The party will decide whether or not they want me to contest,” he said.
With IANS