RAJASTHAN Congress leaders Jyoti Mirdha and Sawai Singh Chaudhary switched to the BJP here on Monday ahead of Assembly elections due later this year. While the BJP claimed that the development reflected a wave in its favour in Rajasthan, the Congress downplayed it saying leaders leaving or joining any party is a usual occurrence before any election and the departure of the two will not impact the ruling party in the state. Mirdha, a former MP from Nagaur in Rajasthan, and Chaudhary joined the BJP in the presence of senior leaders including Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi at the party headquarters in Delhi. The granddaughter of Nathuram Mirdha, who was a prominent farmer leader and a Congress heavyweight in Rajasthan, said she quit the Congress as party workers were being ignored. Chaudhary, a former IPS officer, had contested the 2018 Assembly elections from the Khinvsar seat on a Congress ticket. “The BJP family has been strengthened further...Jyoti Mirdha is a very popular leader,” party General Secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh told reporters.

 

Singh trained his guns at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Government in Rajasthan and said that at least 40 leaders, including those from the Congress, have joined the BJP so far, amidst rising crime against women in the state. “And the number of people coming to the BJP fold is continuously increasing,” he said, adding, This gives a clear message that there is a wave for change in Rajasthan. There is a wave against the ruling Congress. There is a wave in favour of the BJP.” However, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra said that Mirdha was not seen in any of the party activities for the last four and a half years. Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariya also said Mirdha may be from a political family, but she is not an active personality in politics and her leaving the party will not affect its poll prospects.