With few weeks left for assembly polls in Rajasthan, BJP faces a major setback as its MP Harish Chandra Meena has quit the party. A former DGP, he joined the saffron party in 2014 after quitting service. He held the Dausa constituency as MP who is also the recipient of Indian Police Medal and President Medal.
He joined the Congress on Wednesday in the presence of former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, whose father Rajesh Pilot held the Dausa constituency.
“I am happy that Harish Meena has decided to join the Congress in such times. I welcome him to the Congress,” Mr Gehlot said.
Mr Meena’s elder brother, Namo Narayan Meena is a senior Congress leader. They contested against each other in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. The Congress lost Dausa as Harish Meena defeated his elder brother. Another brother OP Meena retired as chief secretary of Rajasthan.
The Meenas are an influential community who has significant amount of voters in eastern belt of Rajasthan. They also have a strong representation in politics and government services.
In September this year, former BJP MLA Manvendra Singh had joined the Congress. He represented Barmer’s Sheo constituency as BJP candidate in 2013 assembly elections. While announcing his exit from the party, he had remarked, “Kamal ka Phool Badi Bhool’. Pilot had welcomed Singh into the party, saying it will strengthen the party. He had also said that there are more leaders who would quit the BJP. He had noted, “There is a long list of leaders quitting the BJP and the party should introspect why this is happening”.