In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its Lok Sabha MP from Dausa, Harish Chand Meena, joined the Congress in Delhi, in a development that is set to boost the opposition party in eastern Rajasthan.
Political experts said Meena’s joining the Congress will counter BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena’s influence in eastern Rajasthan where the Meena electors are in decisive numbers.
Harish Meena, 64, was the director general of police of Rajasthan for the longest time serving the office for almost the entire tenure of the Ashok Gehlot government. He took voluntary retirement in 2014 to join the BJP and contested the parliamentary election from Dausa against his step-brother, Namo Narain Meena. Namo Narain was also an IPS officer, seven batches senior to Harish Meena.
Harish Meena was elected BJP MP from Dausa, pushing his elder brother to the third spot.
Political experts said Harish Meena’s joining the BJP in 2014 was a surprise to the Congress because he was considered close to the Gehlot government.
On Wednesday, Harish Meena joined the Congress in the presence of Gehlot and PCC chief Sachin Pilot. He said, “I am joining Congress unconditionally and will work according to the directions of the party AICC chief Rahul Gandhi to strengthen the organisation.”
Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, 66, left the BJP in 2008 over differences with chief minister Vasundhara Raje. In March this year, he returned to the BJP fold, with Raje, the chief minister, welcoming him as a “strong brother”. Within hours, the BJP had nominated him as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election, which he later won.
“After Kirodi’s return to the BJP, Harish Meena must have felt sidelined because Kirodi is a bigger Meena leader,” said a Congress Meena leader from Karauli who didn’t want to be named.
In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kirodi got more votes than Harish Meena in four out of the eight assembly segments of Dausa parliamentary constituency, even though eventually Harish won by 45,404 votes.
The Meenas, about 7% of Rajasthan’s population, are the biggest caste in the scheduled tribe (ST) category. In Rajasthan, out of 200 assembly seats, 25 are reserved for STS. The Meenas are traditionally supporters of the Congress.
In 2013 assembly elections, the Congress lost at least 30 seats due to National People’s Party candidates bagging a sizeable Meena votes. Kirodi Lal was state president of NPEP and was elected as NPEP MLA from Lalsot in Dausa.
“There were many seats, especially in eastern Rajasthan, where the Congress candidates lost by narrow margins. If the Meenas had voted for the Congress, it would have won at least 30 more seats,” said ML Yadav, a former faculty of Iim-ahmedabad and a political analyst.
He added that Harish Meena and Namo Narain Meena have influence in Sawai Madhopur, especially the Bawanwas assembly constituency. The buzz is that the Congress will field Harish Meena from Bamanwas.
Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “The party had given him (Harish Meena) a lot but sensing opportunity elsewhere, he had left which was not right. Meena’s departure would not impact the party.”