MP: Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat Joins BJP, Deals Blow Ahead of Polls
Bhopal: Six-time Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat, considered a prominent OBC figure in Gwalior-Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, switched over to BJP, dealing a huge blow to the grand old party ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state, scheduled to be held on May seven.
Incidentally, the desertion of Congress by Mr Rawat, considered a loyalist of late former Union minister Madhavrao Scindia, coincided with the visit of ex-AICC president Rahul Gandhi to the region on the day.
Mr Rawat, who represents Vijaypur Assembly constituency under Sheopur district in Gwalior-Chambal region of the state, joined BJP in the presence of chief minister Mohan Yadav.
The OBC leader, who was a minister in the Digvijay Singh cabinet, later said that his marginalisation in Congress was the key reason for his decision to snap ties with it and join BJP.
He was executive president of state Congress when Kamal Nath headed the state unit of the party and felt marginalised in the party after Mr Nath was replaced by Jitu Patwari in the post.
He was fielded by Congress in Morena Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh in 2019 polls against former Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar of BJP.
He had however lost to Mr Tomar by a huge margin of votes.
“I will campaign for BJP candidate in Morena LS seat Shiv Mangal Singh Tomar”, Mr Rawat said.
Morena LS seat is going to polls in the third phase polling on May seven along with seven other seats in the state.
He is the second sitting Congress MLA in Madhya Pradesh to leave the party in the last couple of months.
The Congress MLA from Amarwara in Chhindwara district Kamlesh Shah, a descendant of the local Gond royal family, had quit the party and joined BJP a couple of months ago.
Mr Rawat’s decision to join BJP comes a day after Congress candidate in Indore LS seat Akshay Kanti Bamb withdrew his nomination and subsequently quit the party.
He later joined BJP.
Mr Gandhi on Tuesday visited Madhya Pradesh to address an election rally in Bhind falling under the Gwalior- Chambal region of the state.
