Lone NPP MLA Navin Pilania joins BSP, to contest from Amber

State president and lone NPP MLA from the Amber seat in Jaipur, Navin Pilania, on Tuesday joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Addressing his supporters he said, “I would be contesting again from Amer and will file my nomination on November 15. People did not elect me to join BJP or Congress.”  

Pilania had contested from Amer seat as a BJP candidate in 2003 and 2008, but had lost. He had joined NPP when BJP denied him a ticket in 2013 and gone on to win. His father Gyan Prakash Pilania was a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan. Four MLAs had been elected from the NPP in 2013 but state president Kirodi Lal Meena joined BJP along with two other MLAs which included his wife Golma Devi earlier this year. Pilania was the lone MLA left in the party. Incidentally, Golma Devi has been given a BJP ticket from Sapotra. Pilania hopes to consolidate the SC votes in his favour through BSP, this would help to make up for the ST votes that he had managed to get last time due to Kirodi Lal Meena. 

Amer has close to 40 thousand SC votes that is expected to shift in favour of Pilania. Pilania himself is a Jat that falls under the OBC category. BJP too has once again fielded Satish Punia, a Jat , who had been defeated by Pilania last time. Congress is yet to announce its candidate. 

Will Contest Again

State president and lone NPP MLA from the Amber seat in Jaipur, Navin Pilania said, “I would be contesting again from Amer and will file my nomination on November 15. People did not elect me to join BJP or Congress.”