JAIPUR: In a major setback for the BJP in Rajasthan, Prahlad Gunjal -- senior leader and staunch supporter of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje -- switched over to the Congress on Thursday.
Gunjal formally joined the Congress in the presence of former CM Ashok Gehlot and state president Govind Singh Dotasra at the Rajasthan state office in Jaipur. He is a prominent Gujjar strongman from Kota who is said to have a major influence on the Gujjar voters in the Hadoti region. After Churu’s sitting MP and a close Raje loyalist Rahul Kanswa moved over to the Congress a fortnight ago, Gunjal is the second senior leader to do so.
Gunjal’s decision follows his disappointment with the BJP for not granting him a ticket, despite his expectations of receiving one from Kota. Before joining the Congress, he issued a statement saying, “Till date, I have served the common man by staying at the grassroots level. I have served the party but the party did not appreciate my forty years of work.”