Rajasthan BJP May Witness A 'Ghar Wapsi' Of Leaders In Coming Months, Devi Singh Bhati First In The List

While the Rajasthan Congress is facing a crisis amid indecisiveness over the resignation of 92 MLAs and the Chief Ministership of Ashok Gehlot, BJP prepares to embolden itself.

Former CM Vasundhara Raje will be visiting the Bikaner district on 9 October and will touch four legislative constituencies- Kolayat, Nokha, Bikaner East and Bikaner West. Former minister Devi Singh Bhati has taken charge of the management of her visit.

It should be noted that Bhati left BJP after the 2018 assembly elections. He was opposing the candidature of the Bikaner MP Arjun Ram Meghwal in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

However, when the BJP decided to go ahead with giving the ticket to Meghwal, Bhati came out against the party in the open. He organised meetings against Meghwal in various assembly constituencies.

Meghwal complained against Bhati for showing support to the Congress candidate. However, before the party could take any action against Bhati, he himself left the party and announced that he will not be contesting elections anymore.

Since then, Bhati has been targeting BJP for "not playing the role of opposition adequately" and took it upon himself to raise the issues of electricity and water supply against the Gehlot government.

However, he announced earlier this year that he will be contesting the next election and said he "will create such a situation that parties will rush to him for giving a ticket" without announcing which party he will choose.

Now, it is being said that he will join the BJP back during Raje's visit to Bikaner. While no official announcement has been made, Bhati's supporters are hopeful about his comeback to the party.

On the other hand, Patrika reported that there is not much excitement about Bhati's return in the BJP camp. They are not planning to organise any grand welcome as they believe that Bhati himself left the party and he may join it back whenever he wants.

Last Thursday (29 September), he was in Kolayat, his constituency, from where he has been an MLA for seven times consecutively. However, he lost in 2013 and did not contest the 2018 assembly elections to make way for his daughter-in-law Poonam Kanwar Bhati.

He has been going to all Tehseel headquarters of the Bikaner district. He also met his supporters in Lunkaransar and Bikaner city. Bhati is likely to accompany Raje throughout her visit.

Other than Bhati, a few Congress leaders who left BJP to join Congress can also join the BJP back in the coming months. Former union minister Subhash Mahariya is one among such rumoured names.

Mahariya is a three-time MP from Sikar but was denied a ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He contested as an independent then but lost. He then left BJP and joined Congress in 2016.

His meeting with the deputy leader of opposition in the Rajasthan legislative assembly, Rajendra Singh Rathore fueled rumours about his return to the BJP. However, he denied speculations saying it was a personal meeting.

Similarly, Rajkumar Rinwa who joined Congress after he was denied the ticket by BJP in the 2018 assembly elections, too may join back. Surendra Goyal, Manvendra Singh and Vijay Bansal can also reportedly join BJP back.

Goyal joined Congress after he was denied a ticket from Jaitaran constituency in the 2018 assembly polls. He was accompanied by Ghanshyam Tiwari who joined Congress after opposing Raje.

However, Tiwari has already joined BJP back and was chosen as a Rajya Sabha MP in the recent elections. Similarly, Laxminarayan Dave, Jagat Singh and Krishan Ram Nai have already returned to the BJP fold.

Also Read: The Congress Party And Rajasthan – Prisoners Of Their Own Delusions