Former Gehlot Aide Dadhich, Congs Sharma Join BJP in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots close aide and former Jodhpur mayor Rameshwar Dadhich, who had filed his nomination for the upcoming state Assembly polls from the Soorsagar constituency as an independent candidate, withdrew his papers and joined the BJP on Thursday.

Jaipur: In a significant development ahead of the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's close aide and former Jodhpur mayor Rameshwar Dadhich, who had filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Soorsagar constituency, withdrew his papers and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. Dadhich's departure from the Congress and subsequent joining of the BJP is seen as a setback for the ruling party in the state.

Former Congress Leaders Join BJP

Along with Dadhich, former Dausa district president of the Congress Vinod Sharma also joined the BJP on Thursday. In Jaipur, former minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, who had filed his papers from Jhotwara against the BJP's Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, withdrew his nomination following talks with the party high-command. Welcoming the new entrants, Union Minister and BJP's Rajasthan election in-charge Pralhad Joshi said that leaders of the Congress and other parties are joining the BJP as they are fed up with the policies and fake promises of such parties. He asserted that the time has come for the departure of the Congress government from the desert state.

Rebel BJP Leaders Yet to Withdraw Nominations

While Dadhich and several other rebel BJP leaders have withdrawn their nominations and joined the party, some have decided to contest as independents, making the electoral contests on their respective seats triangular. These include Chandrabhan Singh Akya from Chittorgarh, Yoonus Khan from Deedwana, Ravindra Bhati from Sheo, Banshidhar Bajiya from Khandela, Bhawani Singh Shekhawat from Kota's Ladpura, Kailash Meghwal from Shahpura in Bhilwara, and Priyanka Choudhary from Barmer.

Congress Rebels Remain in the Fray

On the other hand, former Congress MLA from Badi Sadari Prakash Choudhary, Mahendra Barjod from Dungarpur's Chorasi, Rajkaran Choudhary from Sardarshahr, and Brahamdev Kumawat from Masuda have not withdrawn from the poll race and have decided to contest as independents. Their decision to remain in the fray sets the stage for a potentially close and competitive contest in these constituencies.

The withdrawal of nominations and subsequent joining of the BJP by prominent leaders like Rameshwar Dadhich and Vinod Sharma have given the saffron party a boost in Rajasthan. With the state Assembly elections scheduled to take place on November 25 and the counting of votes on December 3, the political landscape in Rajasthan is likely to witness further twists and turns in the coming days.