Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024, In a serious blow to Congress Party, nearly two dozen of Congress leaders, including former ministers and MLAs, defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jaipur on Sunday.
The State BJP President C.P. Joshi, Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, and other prominent figures attended the induction ceremony held at the BJP's State headquarters in Jaipur.
Among those who joined the ruling party were former Congress MLAs Khiladi Bairwa and Alok Beniwal, son of Kamla Beniwal, the former governor of Gujarat. In addition, Riju Jhunjhunwala, Rampal Sharma, and former State Congress president Seva Dal Suresh Chaudhary were welcomed into the BJP. The former BJP MLA Randhir Singh Bhindar, who had previously parted ways with BJP to start his own Janta Sena, has also joined the BJP.
The BJP also welcomed former ministers Rajendra Yadav and Lal Chand Kataria, who were part of Ashok Gehlot's previous Congress administration. Kataria previously served as a Union minister of state in the previous UPA administration.
Richpal Mirdha, the uncle of former Congress MP Jyoti Mirdha also defected. Richpal Mirdha's son Vijaypal Mirdha strengthens the family's political influence in the Jat-majority region of Nagaur and the surrounding districts. The BJP has announced Jyoti Mirdha as their candidate from Nagaur for the next Lok Sabha elections. Mirdha had joined the party prior to the 2023 assembly elections.
Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, a tribal leader and former state Cabinet minister, and Jyoti Mirdha, a former Lok Sabha MP, are among the first batch of candidates nominated by the BJP for Rajasthan.
With 10 more candidates yet to be announced for Rajasthan's 25 total seats in the Lok Sabha, speculation is rife over whether any of the newly-inducted members will find a place on the BJP's candidates list.
Congress leaders defecting to BJP in several states has been a trend nowadays and is likely to continue until Elections 2024.
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