Nagpur: RPN Singh, star campaigner of Congress party quit on Tuesday and has joined hands with the BJP, ahead of state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He served Congress for over 32 years.
RPN Singh said, “I begin a new chapter in my political journey.”
This has come as no surprise to the Congress. He was AICC in-charge of Jharkhand. Soon after that Congress party appointed Avinash Pande as its state in-charge for Jharkhand.
Congress MLA from Barkagaon, Amba Prasad alleged through Twitter that the RPN Singh has been trying to overthrow the Congress-JMM government of Jharkhand by collaborating with BJP. The party leadership was also constantly warned about this.
Amba Prasad said, “Every true Congressman of Jharkhand is happy with his joining BJP.”
Senior Journalist Sharat Pradhan said, “This change in party is like no gain no profit situation”. Congress is out of power from Uttar Pradesh politics from last 33 years. The only difference his change in party means to be for Priyanka Gandhi as she is trying to revive the party in Uttar Pradesh.
This is BJP’s desperation to put dents in the Congress party as three sitting ministers and eleven MLA’s have left BJP and joined Samajwadi party ahead of polls. BJP failed to please their party members. If this kind of dent was made in Samajwadi party that would be a meaningful thing in a politically charged state at this time of elections, Sharat Pradhan added.
Priyanka Gandhi said, “To fight this battle you need to be on your toe, you need to have courage, you cannot be a coward and fight this battle.”
Padrauna was a strong hold seat for RPN Singh as he was MLA from its assembly seat three times. He also defeated Swami Prasad Maurya in 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Still, it is not clear that he will get ticket from BJP for Padrauna as Samajwadi party is likely to put Swami Prasad Maurya on that seat, as Maurya left Yogi government and joined Samajwadi party a month ago.
Earlier Congress party faced the major setback when two of the main leaders of Rahul Gandhi’s inner circle Jitin Prasada a major Brahmin face in UP left the party last year and Jyotiraditya Scindia left the party and joined BJP, later Scindia bagged ministry to his name, Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Notably, RPN Singh was one of the Congress’s most prominent OBC (Other Backward Class) leaders in Uttar Pradesh.
