Rajasthan: Two former ministers, several ex-MLAs quit Congress to join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls
Congress leaders including former ministers Rajendra Yadav and Lal Chand Kataria joined the BJP Sunday, days before the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. Former Congress MLAs Ricchpal Mirdha, his son Vijaypal Mirdha and Khiladi Bairwa; former independent MLA Alok Beniwal, former state chief of Congress Seva Dal Suresh Chaudhary, Rampal Sharma and Riju Jhunjhunwala among other leaders also joined the state's ruling party.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot hit out these leaders, saying «people are saying they have pressure from central agencies therefore they are leaving the Congress and joining the BJP».
It is a second major jolt to the Congress within a few days as former minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya recently joined the BJP which fielded him from Basnwara in the LS elections.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, state BJP president C P Joshi and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav welcomed the new joinees into the party fold at its state headquarters here.
Addressing the joining ceremony, Kataria said he was driven by his conscience to join the BJP. He said the BJP understands the pain and suffering of farmers, the poor and the common man.
It was Chief Minister Shama who worked to resolve the issue of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, Kataria added.
Bairwa, who was the chairman of the SC Commission during the previous Congress rule, hit out at former chief minister Gehlot, saying he «considered SC people his slaves».
Rajendra Yadav and Lal Chand Kataria were ministers in the
