Former BJP state president of the Rajasthan Minority Morcha and Rajasthan Haj Committee, who has also been a state minister, Amin Pathan on Wednesday joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Sukjinder Singh Randhawa. Expressing his dissatisfaction with the saffron party, he said he felt that only a few people from Gujarat and a few industrialists were being promoted. He added that there were other parties he could joined but chose the Congress based on the work of Gehlot.
He said, "Since the last 25 years, I have been a worker, councillor, chairman of various boards of BJP... It feels like only a few people from Gujarat and industrialists are being promoted... This is not the BJP looking at whose ideology and policy we had joined it... Now, there are no leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat... It feels that the BJP has deviated from the promises it made... Looking at that and after being hurt, I have given my resignation from the BJP... Ashok Gehlot has worked for farmers, youth, and women. Looking at that, I have decided to join Congress..."
"The BJP that worked under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Vasundhara Raje and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat used to believe in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'. However, the current BJP is ignoring Dalits, youths and others, and that is why I have decided to leave BJP and join Congress," he said.
Rajasthan will go for polls on November 25 and the result will be declared on December 3. The state is set to witness a fierce battle between the Congress and the BJP as the saffron party eyes getting back to power and the Congress pulling all stop the buck the 'revoving door' trend and retaining power in the state.