New Delhi: Ahead of Rajasthan polls later this year, Manvendra Singh, son of veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh, quit the BJP on Saturday at his Swabhiman rally in Barmer district.
“Kamal ka phool, badi bhool (Choosing the lotus flower was a big mistake),” said Manvendra while announcing his decision to quit the party.
When contacted by PTI after the public meeting, dubbed the Swabhiman rally, he said, “I am no longer in BJP.” He said he was yet to take a decision on whether to join the Congress or not.
“I would like to thank my supporters. I will do whatever they ask me to do. Their decision is my decision but I will ask everyone,” said Manvendra.
Singh said the ‘swabhiman’ mision began in 2014 when his father Jaswant Singh was denied the party ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.
He said those who had supported the family in 2014 had faced hardships, and this had now become an issue of self-respect.
Singh said two people from Delhi and one from Jaipur were responsible for his father not getting the party’s nomination in 2014.
The MLA said he had told the Prime Minister and party chief Amit Shah about the situation in the state.
He referred to the police encounters in which alleged criminals Anandpal and Chatur Singh were killed, leading to resentment in their Rajput community.
Singh concluded his address by chanting, “Kamal ka phool, badi bhool”. His supporters shouted “Kamal ka phool, hamari bhool”.
His wife Chitra Singh called upon the people to vote out the Vasundhara Raje government in the upcoming state election.
A large number of his supporters from Marwar region were present at the meeting.
The wire odisha earlier reported that Manvendra, MLA from Sheo constituency, would likely end his ties with the BJP at his Swabhiman rally.
The family’s relations with CM Vasundhara Raje worsened after BJP stalwart Jaswant Singh was denied the party ticket from Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Manvendra was suspended from the party for campaigning for his father, instead of the BJP’s official candidate Sonaram – who had switched over from the Congress. But Manvendra Singh continued to represent the Sheo Assembly constituency as a BJP MLA.