New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Congress in Uttrakhand poached two more BJP leaders on Monday. The two leaders who have joined from BJP are Deepak Bijalwan and Malchandra. While Bijalwan is District Board President of Uttarkashi, Malchandra is ex MLA from Karauli, both joined Congress in Delhi in presence of Harish Rawat and Devendra Yadav, Incharge of the party in Uttarakhand. Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that the party is getting stronger in the state that is why BJP leaders are leaving and joining Congress. Earlier, Yashpal Arya and his MLA son had also joined Congress. The Congress is facing the incumbent BJP in the elections and in 2017 the party lost badly, but in the upcoming elections the Congress has to face AAP along with the BJP. On Sunday, working President of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Uttarakhand unit Anant Ram Chauhan joined the Congress in Delhi after meeting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Accompanied by former MLA Nav Prabhat, Chauhan before meeting the Congress General Secretary met state Incharge Devendra Yadav. The Congress considers Chauhan a prize catch as the party is wary of AAP cutting into its votes in the hill state. The AAP is eyeing the vote bank of ex-servicemen with Colonel Ajay Kothiyal heading the party. Kothiyal, is a decorated former officer of the Indian Army and AAP CM candidate for the 2022 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly elections. The Congress sensed this move of the AAP and organised a rally to honour veterans. The party felicitated veterans of the 1971 India-Pakistan war after the end of the year-long celebration of 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Liberation. /IANS