There are no permanent friends and foes in politics. Sitting legislator from Sheo (Barmer), and former foreign affairs minister Jaswant Singh's son, Manvendra Singh, who has broken his ties with the BJP, will be formally inducted into the Congress fold today.
Even as the Congress claimed that 'more will come', BJP chief Amit Shah pulled out a coup of sorts in Goa on Tuesday by winning over two influential Congress MLAs — Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar. It may be mentioned here that on Saturday, Chhattisgarh Congress working president and tribal leader Ramdayal Uike joined the BJP. He accused the grand old party of "neglecting" tribal leaders in its fold.
Shah's master move came as a sudden jolt to the Congress reducing its majority in Goa Assembly from 16 MLAs to 14 MLAs, thereby beating it at its own game to upstage the ruling BJP in the state. The Congress had recently requested President Ram Nath Kovind to direct Goa Governor Mridula Sinha to invite them to form government in the state.
After having a secret meeting at Shah's Delhi residence in the morning, the two MLAs joined the BJP at its headquarters amid the presence of union railway minister Piyush Goyal, Goa MP Shripad Naik, BJP Goa state chief Vinay Tendulkar and state health minister Vishwajeet Rane.
In poll-bound Rajasthan, Manvendra claimed that a storm is brewing there. "It's headed eastwards...it's a storm that will reach Jaipur," he said. His decision overhauls the Marwar (Western Rajasthan) politics irrevocably, with changes in both the Congress and the BJP beginning to reveal themselves.
Congress politics in Barmer has throughout been Jat-centric. Rajputs have always been with the Opposition party. With Manvendra, a Rajput, joining Congress, the entire formula of seat allocation is being restructured in the Jodhpur division. Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that there are many BJP leaders who, despite being in power, are unhappy. "The BJP should introspect why its leaders who worked with the party for years are feeling alienated. We welcome Manvendra Singh in Congress with happiness," Pilot said.
Sources in the Congress claim that Manvendra is joining the party on the condition that he would be fielded as a candidate from the Barmer-Jaisalmer parliamentary seat in the 2019 general elections. Manvendra has been an MP from the constituency in past and toed the BJP diktat to contest the Assembly polls from Sheo in 2013.
The Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency is the same seat which his father Jaswant Singh wished to contest on a BJP ticket but was denied by the party. Jaswant Singh had contested and lost the seat as an Independent in 2014. "By contesting the same seat, Manvendra wishes to bring his Swabhimaan campaign full circle," an aide of the former BJP MLA said. The ramification of his decision is being felt by the BJP. Manvendra's move was discussed at the ongoing Mathan meetings of the BJP in Ranakpur.
However, the most visible impact of Manvendra's switch to Congress is being felt by former Congress MP Harish Chaudhary. Chaudhary, who is seen as a Ashok Gehlot loyalist, has in the past contested as MP. "The party has offered him the Baytu assembly constituency as an option as Manvendra plans on contesting his seat," a Congress office bearer said.
Baytu is a Jat-dominated constituency and is being seen as Chaudhary's path to cabinet berth in the government in the event Congress returns to power in state. Several Jat leaders with BJP, including Narayanram Beda and former tourism minister Usha Punia, are said to be contemplating following on Manvendra's footsteps.
Meanwhile, in the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Manohar Parrikar government now has a combined strength of 25 lawmakers - 16 MLAs on its own besides the support of 9 other MLAs - three each from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP), three Independent and one legislator from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Welcoming the two MLAs, Goyal said they would strengthen the Parrikar government in Goa.
Both Sopte and Shirodkar said they left the Congress on their own volition and no pressure was exerted on them from anyone. In Goa, Assembly speaker Pramod Sawant said, "I have received Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar's resignation. They confirmed they are doing this willingly and without any pressure. I accepted their resignations. The process will be completed and copies will be sent to all members of the House, Governor and the Election Commission."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Subhash Shirodkar, Dayanand Sopte, Piyush Goyal")
)
After having a secret meeting at Shah's Delhi residence in the morning, the two MLAs joined the BJP at its headquarters amid the presence of union railway minister Piyush Goyal, Goa MP Shripad Naik, BJP Goa state chief Vinay Tendulkar and state health minister Vishwajeet Rane.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}