Jaipur: In a significant setback for the Congress party, former Rajasthan Cabinet Minister and Congress' tribal leader Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference, Rajasthan BJP President CP Joshi announced, "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 emphasized that Malviya himself has acknowledged the substantial developmental work undertaken in the tribal areas under the leadership of PM Modi. He also highlighted the historic achievement of an Adivasi woman becoming the President of the country, attributing it to the impact of PM Modi's policies that has resonated with Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya.
Before joining the BJP, Malviya criticized the grand old party, stating, "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."
Sources indicate that Malviya was not 'happy' with the Congress leadership. Currently representing the Bagidora Assembly seat in the Banswara district, Malviya's inclusion assumes significance, particularly in southern Rajasthan where the BJP holds a stronger position compared to the Congress, ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Malviya first became an MLA in 2008, defeating the Janata Dal (United)'s Jeetmal Khant by 45,000 votes. Despite facing 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 repeated his victory over Garasiya in 2018. In the 2023 Assembly elections, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya secured a win against BADVP's Jaikrishn Patel from the Bagidora Assembly constituency.
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