Congress suffers setback as former MP joins BJP in Yogi''s presence

Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service
Lucknow, October 15

The Congress suffered a setback on Tuesday as its former MP Rajkumari Ratna Singh joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Pratapgarh.

Sixty-year-old Ratna Singh is the daughter of Dinesh Singh, once close associate of former PMs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. A former ruler of the principality of Kalakankar he had also been a four-time Lok Sabha MP of Pratapgarh and member of the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi governments.

Ratna Singh represented Pratapgarh as a Congress MP in the Lok Sabha in 1996, 1999 and 2009.

With Ratna Singh joining the BJP the Congress now seems to be rudderless in an area that was once considered its stronghold.

Rae Bareli, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency, is bordered by Pratapgarh on one side and Amethi on the other.

Amethi has already been won over by BJP’s Smriti Irani. Two MLAs of Rae Bareli–Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh--have already revolted against the Congress high command by not participating in the padyatra led by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lucknow on Gandhi Jayanti.

Instead violating the party whip they participated in the Vidhan Sabha special 36-hour session to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

It appears to be a matter of time before they formally join the BJP.

With Ratna Singh also formally joining the BJP in Pratapgarh the Congress now stands completely alone in the region it once dominated.