Rajendra Singh Gudha, a former minister for Rajasthan and a Congress lawmaker who was dismissed from the cabinet after criticizing the assembly leadership of his party, joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Saturday.
Since Ashok Gehlot was fired from the cabinet on July 21 after he cornered the government in the assembly drawing comparisons between sexual violence in ethnically divided Manipur and crimes against women in Rajasthan, Gudha, the legislator from the Udaipurwati assembly constituency who was elected on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket in 2018 and later switched to the Congress, has been attacking Gehlot.
Gudha, a former state minister of state for panchayati raj and rural development, said that Gehlot’s suspected unlawful activities were documented in a “red diary” that he kept. In advance of this year’s key state assembly elections, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has utilized the claim to criticize the Congress-led administration. During a gathering in Udaipurwati, in the Jhunjhunu district, Shinde welcomed Gudha to the Shiv Sena, claiming he “sacrificed” the ministerial post for the sake of the people.
“Gudha talked about maintaining law and order and the protection of women, but he was taken away. What did he say wrong? Leaders like the former minister from Rajasthan, Shinde said, are crucial to both the nation and the state.
Speaking to the crowd, Shinde said that Rajasthan has to strengthen peace and order, women’s safety, young employment possibilities, and farmer advancement.
Is it unlawful to uphold the truth?Shinde said, “You [Gudha] resigned the ministerial office, but you did not leave the truth.
Shinde, whose party is allied with the BJP in Maharashtra, stated that decisions on the potential of an alliance with the BJP in Rajasthan would be made as the election date approaches. He said, “Shiv Sena will only participate in the “politics of development” for elections.”
Gudha was cited by the news agency ANI as stating, “With Eknath Shinde, I will work for the youth and women of the state,” after joining the Shiv Sena.
Gudha joining the Shiv Sena would be his loss, not that of the state’s governing party, according to a senior Congress politician who asked to remain anonymous. “Removing him won’t happen right now. However, the party will publish a notice, and the assembly speaker will make the choice, the leader said.
The BJP and the Shinde-led party have a similar “Hindutva” ideology, according to political expert Narayan Bareth. He also noted that Gudha would lose out on the main Congress support base if he decided to run on a Shiv Sena ticket.
Gudha is being ignored by the Congress since the party has already acknowledged that he won’t be a member. It seems that the government does not want to argue with Gudha verbally,” Bareth said.
Later this year, elections will be held for the 200-member Rajasthan legislative assembly. Gudha, along with five other BSP lawmakers, won the Udaipurwati assembly seat in 2018 on a BSP ticket. She afterwards joined the Congress. In the most recent assembly elections, the BSP won six seats.