Former Speaker of Rajasthan assembly Sumitra Singh along with two Former BJP lawmakers, Ravindra Singh Bohra, and former waqf board chairman Silawat Khan quit the ruling BJP and joined Congress in the poll-bound Rajasthan on Thursday.
Sumitra Singh (88) has rejoined Congress after a gap of over three decades. She became the state’s first woman speaker in 2003 and has been a legislator for nine-terms after winning her first election from Pilani in Jhunjhunu district in 1957. Singh, a stalwart of Jat Politics in Shekhawati region of the state was was with BJP after being denied the party ticket from Jhunjhunu for the Rajasthan Elections due on December 7.
Ravindra Singh Bohra, a former BJP MLA from Rajakhera in Dholpur, which is the hometown of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, joined Congress along with his son Vivek Bohra. Ravindra is the brother of Congress’ sitting MLA Pradhyumn Singh, who is an eight-term legislator from Rajakhera. He too had been upset with BJP for denying the party ticket to his son Vivek from Rajakhera in these elections. Ravindra is former zila pramukh of Dholpur.
The BJP leaders joined Congress in the presence of All India Congress Committee general secretaries Ashok Gehlot and Avinash Pande and Pradesh Committee Chief Sachin Pilot at the Congress headquarters in Jaipur.
The inclusion of senior leaders in Congress is being seen as a jolt to the BJP in Dholpur and Jhunjhunu districts. In both the districts, the BJP has fielded candidates who are being seen as “parachutes” by the party workers.
These polls witness many notable faces changing loyalties when they are being denied a ticket by their party.
BJP fielded Ashok Sharma in Dholpur, who was the Congress district president till October. Sharma’s father, an ex-MLA, is still with Congress. In Jhunjhunu, BJP candidate Rajendra Singh Bhamboo is being seen as an ‘outsider’.
BJP has recently expelled 11 leaders including four cabinet ministers after they refused to withdraw the nominations against the party’s official candidate. It seems like the route for BJP in the Rajasthan Elections is not going to be easy. Opinions Polls have already suggested an upper hand of Congress in the upcoming battle of ballots.
The 200 assembly state will vote on December 7 to elect a new assembly. The Counting of votes is scheduled for December 11 with four other state elections.
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