Days after Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra announced exit, BJP yet to receive official resignation

JAIPUR: Days after former Union minister Jaswant Singh's son and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manvendra Singh announced his resignation from the party, the party is yet to receive a formal notification from him. 

Madan Lal Saini, president of BJP's Rajasthan unit said that the local party unit is yet to receive a formal intimation from Singh. "Manvendra Singh is still a BJP MLA. Disciplinary action will be taken against him," Saini said.

Announcing his decision to quit the party, he had said that joining the BJP was a "big mistake" on his part. "Kamal ka phool, badi bhool," he said. He had said that he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Barmer-Jaisalmer parliamentary constituency which in the past has been represented by his father.

After addressing a rally at Pachpadra in his Barmer constituency, Rajasthan, Manvendra announced his decision at a press conference.

He had also said that he is yet to take a decision on whether to join the Congress or not. "I would like to thank my supporters. I will do whatever they ask me to do. Their decision is my decision but I will ask everyone," he had said when asked if he will join the Congress party. 

After the public meeting, dubbed 'swabhiman' or self-respect rally, he said, "I am no longer in BJP." Singh said the 'swabhiman' mision began in 2014 when his father Jaswant Singh was denied the party ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.

He said Narendra Modi, now prime minister and the then Gujarat Chief Minister, had called him up saying he was not present at the meeting where that decision was taken.
Manvendra Singh said Modi had then asked him to remain patient. "But the limit of my patience is now over," he said at the well-attended rally.

A large number of his supporters from Marwar region were present at the meeting.

After denial of the party nomination in 2014, Jaswant Singh contested the elections as an independent candidate. But he lost the seat to BJP's Sonaram, who had switched over from Congress and was backed by Vasundhara Raje.

The decision of not allowing Jaswant Singh to contest had antagonised people in the Rajput community who held Raje responsible.