Rajasthan polls: Jaswant Singh's son may quit BJP

Former Union minister Jaswant Singh's son, Manvendra Singh's decision to hold a "Swabhimaan rally" in Barmer on September 2 has led to the speculation that he may quit the BJP ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

Manvendra's announcement of the Swabhiman rally (rally for self dignity) followed by his distancing from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's "Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra" , when it travelled through Barmer, has fueled the speculation that he may quit the party.

Manvendra, who is presently the sitting BJP MLA from Sheo, has had strained relations with the party since 2014 after his father Jaswant Singh was denied a Lok Sabha ticket from Barmer.

However, he remained non-committal on the speculation of forming a new party or joining the Congress.

"I am preparing for Swabhiman rally... This rally is about the support of crowd and will be managed by the crowd. So I have left the decision on the crowd," Manvendra Singh told DH over phone.

Moreover, the posters and pamphlets have huge pictures of Jaswant Singh urging people to come out in large in numbers to the venue, for their "swabhiman".

Meanwhile, the state BJP office refused to comment on Manvendra's rally.

"Relations between him and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje have been strained from last four years and Manvendra had maintained a distance from the party functions during the past four years," a senior BJP leader told DH.