In a major blow to Congress, sitting Rajya Sabha member and former minister in the UPA government Naranbhai Rathwa joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (February 27) in Gujarat's Ahmedabad ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due April-May. He joined the saffron party along with his son and a large number of his supporters. Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil inducted Rathwa and others into the party by offering them saffron scarves and caps at the party's state headquarters 'Kamalam'.
Naranbhai Rathwa represented the Chhota Udaipur Lok Sabha constituency five times in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004.
Who is Naranbhai Rathwa?
Rathwa, a tribal leader from Gujarat's Chhota Udepur, is a member of the Rajya Sabha and his tenure will end in April this year.
Rathwa's son Sangramsinh had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections as a Congress candidate from Scheduled Tribe (ST)-reserved Chhota Udepur seat. He joined the BJP along with his father and a large number of supporters at a function.
Rathwa was a Minister of State for Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004, and lost to BJP candidate Ramsinh Rathwa in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
(With PTI inputs)
