Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Rajasthan Congress MLA and former minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Referring to the BJP dispensations in the state and at the Centre, he said that there is a double-engine government in Rajasthan. This comes as a big blow to the grand old party in Rajasthan.
”Development is a big issue. There is a double-engine government here. The state and the country are transforming and the entire world is watching,” he told reporters before a joint press conference at the party office. Malviya joined the saffron party in the presence of the BJP’s Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh, state unit chief CP Joshi and others.
Addressing a press conference, Joshi said, “Today, prominent leader from the tribal region, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, is joining the BJP. Influenced by the policies and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he has chosen to become a member of the BJP.”
Joshi also highlighted that Malviya himself has stated that significant developmental work has taken place in the tribal areas under the leadership of PM Modi. He also noted the historic achievement of an Adivasi woman becoming the President of the country, citing it as an impact of PM Modi’s policies that has influenced the former Congress leader.
As per sources, Malviya was not ‘happy’ with the Congress leadership.
Criticizing the grand old party before joining the BJP, Malviya said, “You can see the plight of Congress across the country. The party is being hounded and rendered hollow from within by a select few people. Somewhere, it has drifted from the vision it had for the country and the people. It is not there anymore.”
Malviya first became an MLA in 2008, defeating the Janata Dal (United)’s Jeetmal Khant by 45,000 votes. Despite strong anti-incumbency in 2013, which saw the Congress reduced to just 21 seats, Malviya retained his seat by defeating the BJP’s Khemraj Garasiya. He prevailed over Garasiya again in 2018.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, he defeated BADVP’s Jaikrishn Patel from the Bagidora Assembly constituency.
(with agency inputs)
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