NEW DELHI, March 24 –

In an effort to increase its lead over the opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has been joined by a wealthy industrialist and a former head of the Indian Air Force on Sunday. Other notable additions to the group in recent weeks include a judge and an ambassador.
In elections that begin next month, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is predicted to win a third consecutive term, while the opposition finds it difficult to remain together with its leaders mired in a number of scandals.

The influx of new members, many of whom are from the main opposition Congress party, which has ruled India for more than 50 years, is seen by analysts as a sign that another BJP victory is certain.
Head of Jindal Steel and Power (JNSP.NS) and two-time Congress MP Naveen Jindal joined the BJP late on Sunday, after the nation’s former chief of air force, Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. Shortly after leaving the Congress, Jindal said that he will run for the party in the next election from his native state of Haryana.

BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde said at a news conference, “To fulfil the resolve of Prime Minister Modi for a developed India, famous industrialist, sportsperson, and politician Naveen Jindal joined the BJP today,” with Jindal at his side expressing gratitude to Modi for the chance.
The BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a judge who left the Calcutta High Court earlier this month, will also run for office.

Six former Congressmen from the state of Himachal Pradesh became members of the BJP on Saturday. Before that, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian ambassador to the US till January, joined and is anticipated to run in the elections.
In his current term, which started in 2019, Modi appointed specialists to head crucial departments including foreign, technology, and energy, in contrast to previous governments that primarily depended on seasoned politicians to run critical ministries.

The opposition parties claim that a large number of its members were coerced into joining the BJP by the threat of corruption probes. It is denied by the BJP.
Congress, meanwhile, claims that because authorities have frozen its accounts in connection with multiple tax probes, it lacks funds even for campaign activities.