Jolt for BJPas MP, MLA join Cong

Jaipur/New Delhi, Nov 14

In a setback to the ruling BJP in Rajasthan ahead of the next month’s elections, party’s Dausa MP Harish Chandra Meena and Nagaur MLA Habibur Rahman joined the Congress today.

Meena was the Director General of Police in Rajasthan. He had quit the job early to join the BJP in March 2014 in support of Narendra Modi, the then party president. He had won the Dausa seat in 2014 by defeating his nearest rival Dr Kiriroi Lal Meena.

Today, he joined the Congress in the presence of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot and AICC’s state incharge Avinash Pande in Delhi.

“I am happy that Harish Meena has decided to join the Congress in such times. I welcome him in the Congress fold,”Gehlot said at a press conference. Pilot and Gehlot said they would contest the December 7 poll along with other senior leaders of the state. “We are all united. It is BJP’s conspiracy to spread false news that the Congress is divided,” Gehlot said.

Rahman has returned to the Congress after a decade. He joined the Congress at the party’s office in Jaipur in the presence of Ajmer MP Raghu Sharma and other leaders.

“This is unconditional joining and returning home. If party gives me any job, I will obey. It is my home coming after 10 years,” Rahman said.

He joined the BJP in 2008 after being denied a ticket by the Congress. — TNS/PTI