Rajasthan Assembly elections: Setback for BJP as two leaders - Harish Meena and Habibur Rahaman Ashrafi Lamba - join Congress

In a setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly elections, party’s Member of Parliament from Dausa, Harish Meena, on Wednesday joined the Congress party. BJP MLA from Nagaur, Habibur Rahaman Ashrafi Lamba also joined the grand old party on Wednesday

The two BJP leaders joined the Congress party in the presence of former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in the national capital.

The fresh setback for the ruling party comes just days after party MLA Surendra Goyal resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Another BJP leader, Hanuman Beniwal, had last month parted ways with the saffron party, following which he launched his own political front – Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP). He had said that his party, along with other “like-minded” ones would emerge as the alternative to the BJP and the Congress.

Earlier in October, the BJP had suffered a massive setback with former Union minister Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh joining the Congress. An MLA from Sheo in Barmer, Manvendra Singh had announced in September that he was quitting the BJP. "Kamal ka Phool Badi Bhool", he had said then, claiming that going with the BJP's election symbol, the lotus, was a "big mistake".

Rajasthan is scheduled to go to polls on December 7. The last date for filing nominations in the state is November 19. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.