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With just two weeks left for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Congress suffered a double blow as former minister Ram Gopal Bairwa and MLA Asoka Tanwar, along with several others, switched over to the BJP.
The Congress turncoats were inducted in the presence of the BJP's Rajasthan president CP Joshi and Lok Sabha MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore at the party office in Jaipur. Welcoming the new members into the saffron fold, Joshi said, "We have taken a major step today towards making Jhotwara 'Congress-mukt'. I would like to express my gratitude to the new members for putting their trust in the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." The Assembly constituency of Jhotwara is situated in the suburban area of Jaipur. "A prominent Dalit leader of the Congress, Gopal Bairwa is officially a BJP member today. Former MLA Asoka Tanwar has also joined us. I welcome them all into the BJP family. Chavi Rajawat, who made a name for herself as a sarpanch, has also joined our party and we are happy to have her among us," the BJP state chief added. Launching a blistering attack on the ruling party in the state over the alleged rape of a minor girl by a police officer, Joshi said, "We condemn this incident and demand the strictest punishment of the accused. Why are such incidents on the rise in Rajasthan? When the government and administration are in deep slumber and turn a blind eye to the plight of the people, this is the result. Criminals are emboldened to commit more such crimes." Earlier, on Saturday, the incident evoked public fury as hundreds of locals surrounded the Rahuwas police station in the Lalsot area of Dausa, chanting slogans against the state government and the police. "An incident has come to light where the custodian turned into a predator. A minor girl was raped by a sub-inspector in Dausa, Rajasthan. However, this isn't the first such incident in the state. Teachers, too, have been accused of committing such crimes in government schools," Poonawalla said. Rajasthan will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP finished at 73 seats in the 200-member House. (ANI)
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