JAIPUR: Former BJP MLA Prahlad Gunjal, once a staunch supporter of ex-Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, joined the Congress at the party headquarters here on Thursday, ending days of speculation. Gunjal is likely to be fielded against Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP candidate from Kota Om Birla.
Apart from Gunjal, Naresh Meena, Fateh Khan and Sunil Parihar – who contested the 2023 assembly elections as independents from Chhabra, Sheo and Siwana seats respectively – also joined the Congress at the same programme.
Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra, former CM Ashok Gehlot, Congress MLAs and leaders from the Hadauti region were present on the occasion. Gunjal, who has been MLA for two terms, lost the last assembly election from Kota North seat to Congress’s Shanti Dhariwal by a narrow margin and has ever since felt ignored in the saffron party.
According to party insiders, Gunjal and Om Birla did not see eye to eye, despite being in the same party. Soon after joining Congress, Gunjal attacked Om Birla, saying “politics in Kota has been captured by one person and his family”.
“Today, selfless workers associated with BJP’s tradition and principles are in tears. They could not muster moral courage to abandon the party ideology and stand against oppression. But I could not tolerate it,” said Gunjal.
Gunjal also targeted Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma. “I am not junior to anyone in BJP. When I became an MLA for the first time, the CM was in the race for sarpanch’s seat. When I became MLA for the second time, he was struggling to become a panchayat samiti member,” he said. Dotasra announced the withdrawal of suspension of Sunil Parihar, Fateh Khan and Naresh Meena. They were suspended after they rebelled and fought as independents in the last assembly polls.
Apart from Gunjal, Naresh Meena, Fateh Khan and Sunil Parihar – who contested the 2023 assembly elections as independents from Chhabra, Sheo and Siwana seats respectively – also joined the Congress at the same programme.
Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra, former CM Ashok Gehlot, Congress MLAs and leaders from the Hadauti region were present on the occasion. Gunjal, who has been MLA for two terms, lost the last assembly election from Kota North seat to Congress’s Shanti Dhariwal by a narrow margin and has ever since felt ignored in the saffron party.
According to party insiders, Gunjal and Om Birla did not see eye to eye, despite being in the same party. Soon after joining Congress, Gunjal attacked Om Birla, saying “politics in Kota has been captured by one person and his family”.
“Today, selfless workers associated with BJP’s tradition and principles are in tears. They could not muster moral courage to abandon the party ideology and stand against oppression. But I could not tolerate it,” said Gunjal.
Gunjal also targeted Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma. “I am not junior to anyone in BJP. When I became an MLA for the first time, the CM was in the race for sarpanch’s seat. When I became MLA for the second time, he was struggling to become a panchayat samiti member,” he said. Dotasra announced the withdrawal of suspension of Sunil Parihar, Fateh Khan and Naresh Meena. They were suspended after they rebelled and fought as independents in the last assembly polls.