NEW DELHI: Former Delhi minister Rajkumar Chauhan is set to return to the Congress after crossing over to BJP during Lok Sabha elections last year. On Wednesday, Chauhan met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at her residence in the presence of state Congress chief Subhash Chopra. “I received a call from Soniaji’s office after which I met her today. She asked me to work for the party. If she asks then one cannot refuse. The party allowed me to contest six elections and made me minister thrice,” he said.
Chauhan was elected from Mangolpuri Assembly seat, a reserved constituency, four times from 1993 to 2013 and also held important portfolios in the Sheila Dikshit government.He was supposed to be the Congress candidate from northwest Delhi parliamentary (reserved) constituency but was reportedly denied the ticket at the eleventh hour. Discontented, he had joined BJP in May. On his formal re-induction into Congress, Chauhan said it could be done in a day or two at Congress headquarters.
“After meeting Soniaji, formal induction is just a formality. Everyone is aware of the development now,” Chauhan. On the other hand, the development has created a flutter in the BJP as it was considered that Chauhan’s candidature was almost certain from Mangolpuri. “Chauhan was made co-convener of the manifesto committee of the Delhi BJP. But there may be some issues, which Arvinder Singh Lovely also faced. Chauhan might be nominated from Mangolpuri seat,” said a BJP leader.
However, Chauhan said that he had informed state unit chief Manoj Tiwari about his decision not to contest the upcoming polls. “I was given a lot of respect in the BJP and I am thankful to them,” he said.