By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, Aug 26 (IANS): If sources in the BJP are to be believed, the Rajasthan unit of the party could be preparing to accommodate former party heavyweights including 6-time MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari and Manvendra Singh, son of veteran leader Jaswant Singh, who left the party before the assembly polls in 2018 due to their differences with former Rajasthan Chief Minister and BJP national Vice President Vasundhara Raje.
Tiwari revolted against the former CM and raised the issue of Bungalow number 13, which according to him, was illegally occupied by her. Tiwari was left neglected post the 2013 Assembly polls when the party won with a huge margin but surprisingly he was not given any role either in the ministry or in the organisation.
A few months before the Assembly elections in 2018, Tiwari floated his own party 'Bharat Vahini' but after losing the elections, merged with the Congress.
Tiwari is a 6-time MLA who has been a cabinet minister thrice in the BJP government. He is the man who strengthened the BJP in the once Congress-dominated state and is also known to be an RSS man.
It's not only Tiwari but another senior leader, Manvendra Singh who might also be called in the party. Singh is the son of senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh who was once considered close to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He left the BJP as he and his father were ignored when Raje was in power.
Singh, later on, contested the Assembly polls on Congress' ticket against Raje from her home constituency Jhalrapatan and lost. Since then, he maintained a low profile and kept a distance from Congress party activities.
BJP state president Satish Poonia told IANS that leaders from parties have been leaving and joining the organisation. This was not unusual. "Parties discuss the facts internally and then make a decision about the re-induction of a leader in the party. These are just the media reports as of now," he added.
On Tuesday, Raje visited the state party headquarters and had a meeting with Poonia, national Joint General Secretary (Organisation), V. Satish and state General Secretary - Organisation Chandrashekhar.