In a big blow to the Congress, former Rajasthan Cabinet Minister and Congress’ tribal leader Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya joined the Bhartiya Janata party on Monday ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a press conference, Rajasthan BJP President CP Joshi said, “Today, prominent leader from the tribal region, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, is joining the BJP. He has made the decision to join the BJP as a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and leadership.”
Joshi highlighted that Malviya himself has stated that significant developmental work has taken place in the tribal areas under the leadership of PM Modi. He also noted the historic achievement of an Adivasi woman becoming the President of the country, citing it as an impact of PM Modi’s policies that has influenced Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya. Criticizing the grand old party before joining the BJP, Malviya said, “You can see the plight of Congress across the country. A select few people are stalking the party and hollowing it out from within. Somewhere, it has drifted from the vision it had for the country and the people. It is not there anymore”.
According to sources, Malviya was not ‘happy’ with the Congress leadership. Malviya currently represents the Bagidora Assembly seat in the Banswara district.
As a tribal leader from southern Rajasthan where the BJP is considered to have a stronger footing than the Congress, his inclusion can assume significance before the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state. Malviya first became an MLA in 2008, defeating the Janata Dal (United)’s Jeetmal Khant by 45,000 votes. Despite strong anti-incumbency in 2013, which saw the Congress reduced to just 21 seats, Malviya retained his seat by defeating the BJP’s Khemraj Garasiya. He prevailed over Garasiya again in 2018.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya defeated BADVP’s Jaikrishn Patel from the Bagidora Assembly constituency.
