Influential Madhya Pradesh Congress leader and six-time Vijaypur MLA Ramniwas Rawat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday after resigning from the grand old party. He was inducted into the saffron brigade at programme in Sheopur in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
A veteran leader, Rawat had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Morena seat on a Congress ticket but lost to BJP candidate and former Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Rawat is learnt to have been eyeing the Morena seat for a Lok Sabha contest this time as well. However, the Congress decided to field Satyapal Singh Sikarwar from the seat, leading to discontent for Rawat.
A leading OBC face in the state, Rawat has previously served as the working president of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the party. His disillusionment with the Congress began when the high command ignored him for the post of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly despite him retaining the Vijaypur seat for six terms.
Rawat’s exit marks the second blow to Congress in as many days in Madhya Pradesh. On Monday, the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Bam, withdrew his nomination and joined the BJP. The move came as a massive embarrassment for the Congress which is desperately hoping to reverse its electoral fortunes after back-to-back setbacks in 2014 and 2019.
Speculations around Rawat’s exit have been rife for over a month now. However, the Congress’ decision to field another candidate from the Morena seat proved to be the last straw. The Congress did try to salvage the evolving situation but failed to convince Rawat or end his disillusionment over being overlooked by the high command.
It is believed that Rawat’s entry into the BJP could increase his stature significantly with the party reportedly considering a cabinet post for him in the Mohan Yadav-led cabinet. Notably, Rawat had served as a minister in the Digviajaya Singh government but was relegated to the Opposition since the BJP’s victory in 2003.