Denied ticket for LS polls, Rajasthan BJP MP joins Congress

Churu MP Rahul Kaswan on Monday resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party and joined the Congress in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital.

After joining the Congress, Kaswan, who was denied ticket by the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, said he felt his "voice was not being heard" in the party.

Kharge welcomed him in the Congress fold, saying the party needs such people who have fought against power.

"I heartily welcome Rahul Kaswan ji on joining the Congress Party. I am happy that Rahul Kaswan ji, who fought against feudal people and have supported the farmers' issue, has joined the Congress Party," Kharge said.

"If people with such ideology keep joining the Congress party, then the BJP will certainly be decimated. The BJP has always been intimidating people, but we need people like Rahul Kaswan ji," he added.

The Congress chief also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches in different languages across the country and said he wants to have a "mastery" on everything but continues his habit of intimidating people.

Speaking to reporters after joining the grand old party, Kaswan said, "My entire family was working with honesty and dedication in the region, but a time came where I felt that my voice was not being heard (in the BJP)."

"I felt that I will suffocate if I cannot raise the issues of my farmer brothers," he added.

Welcoming Kaswan into the Congress fold, Rajasthan PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra said he took membership of the Congress party in Delhi in the presence of party chief Kharge.

"Undoubtedly Rahul Kaswanji's spirit of farmer welfare and public service will lend strength to public issues and strengthen the party organisation," Dotasra said.

Earlier announcing his decision to resign from the BJP and Lok Sabha membership, Kaswan expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party leaders for giving him the opportunity to represent Churu as the MP twice.

"Due to political reasons, at this very moment today, I am resigning from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party and from the post of Member of Parliament," Kaswan posted on X.

"I express my gratitude to BJP national president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, who gave me the opportunity to serve the Churu Lok Sabha family for 10 years, " he said.

The BJP had given ticket to paralympic gold medalist Devendra Jhajharia from the Churu Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan in place of two-time MP Kaswan.