BJP veteran Jaswant Singh’s son and Colonel Manvendra Singh has quit the BJP party citing self respect as the reason. He said that joining the BJP was a mistake. Manvendra Singh’s resignation came as an embarassment to the ruling party in Rajasthan where state elections are round the corner. Singh’s move assumed significance as the Congress has been trying to strengthen its support base among Rajputs. Singh is regarded as a top leader among the community, which has a significant presence in the region and is upset with the “ill-treatment meted out to Jaswant Singh”.
“Kamal ki phool hamari bhool thi (choosing the Lotus flower was my mistake), said the lawmaker at his Swabhiman rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer, who has been campaigning vigorously in his constituency ever since he announced a rally for “fight for self-respect” of voters. Colonel in Territorial Army (India), Singh has also worked as a journalist. He fought for India in Kargil War.
Manvendra Singh’s relations with the BJP became strained in 2014 only when his father was denied a ticket in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014. Speaking at the rally, retired Colonel alleged that their phone calls were being recorded and supporters of Jaswant Singh and the Rajput community were being harassed unnecessarily. He further said that he had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah about it but nothing happened.The miffed sitting lawmaker from Sheo did not comment on whether he would join the Congress party or float an independent party.
Who is Manvendra Singh?
Manvendra Singh is son of Thakur Jaswant Singh, a former Finance Minister of India, and mother is Smt. Sheetal Kanwar. He was a Colonel in Territorial Army (India). Before entering politics, he worked as a journalist at the Statesman and the Indian Express, with a specialization in defence and national security affairs. He fought for India in Kargil War.
He got elected for 14th Lok Sabha from Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency of Rajasthan. During UPA regime, Singh was a member of the Standing Committee on Defence. He is a Member of Legislative Assembly (India) from Shiv constituency for Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha.
Brief on Jaswant Singh:
A retired officer of the Indian Army, Jaswant Singh is a former cabinet minister of the Vajpayee government. Singh is a seasoned politician. He is also a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In fact, he is one of India’s longest serving parliamentarians between 1980 and 2014.
