Another jolt to Congress as influential tribal leader in Rajasthan may opt for BJP

Jaipur: Congress Party may receive another jolt as one of its senior tribal leaders in Rajasthan Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya may soon cross over to BJP.

In a recent interaction with the media in Delhi, a disgruntled Malviya, 64, has given enough indications that he may soon join the saffron party.

Having been with the Congress for more than five decades, he is an experienced and influential leader in the Vagad region that comprises the tribal-dominated districts of Dungarpur and Banswara.

Currently Malviya is a MLA from Bagidora constituency in Banswara district. It is being presumed that a number of other Congress leaders may follow him.

Four-time MLA, Malviya is said to be unhappy because he was overlooked and not named the Opposition leader in the Vidhan Sabha, which went to much younger Dalit leader Tikaram Jully.

Malviya, who has been a student leader, a Zila pramukh twice, Pradhan and MP and a minister in the government and also a CWC member, is said to be close to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Seeing his experience, Gehlot is said to have proposed his name for the Opposition leader, but it did not work out.

Jully, 46, who is said to be close to Alwar royal scion and senior leader Jitendra Singh. Jully got the coveted job as Jitendra Singh, a close ally of Rahul Gandhi, lobbied for him.

Sources say Malviya’s close aide Dinesh Khodaniya from Sagwara has had to face ED raids in the highly controversial and publicised exam paper leak case. So it is being assumed that Malviya can also face ED heat as the BJP zila head in Banswara has been demanding action against him.

So Malviya’s joining BJP would hush up the case and is going to shield him from such harassment, says sources.

There is also speculation that Malviya wants to fight the MP election on a BJP ticket. He had been wanting to fight the Banswara-Dungarpur MP seat from Congress but the party is said to have denied him for now.

So Malviya crossing over to BJP may just get him that ticket as the present BJP MP Kanakmal Katara may not be in the reckoning this time.

He is also said to be related to influential BJP leader and former minister, Dhan Singh Rawat.

Malviya’s son is married to Rawat’s daughter. “BJP has been trying to make inroads in these tribal-dominated areas for a long time and Malviya would definitely be a strong catch,” Narayan Bareth told Deccan Herald.

Sources also say BJP has been trying to lure angry Congress leaders from various parts of the state, ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections, and promising them Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats is one of the many propositions the BJP is posing.