Exodus Rattles Congress: Prominent Leaders, Including First Female President of Rajasthan University, Defect to Saffron Party

Jaipur- Prabha Chaudhary, the trailblazing first female president of Rajasthan University, has recently made headlines once again by making a significant political move. In a ceremony attended by BJP state president CP Joshi, Chaudhary formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Alongside her, several other Congress leaders and prominent figures pledged their support to the BJP's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, endorsing the official BJP candidates.

Previously vying for a Congress ticket, Prabha Chaudhary's decision to switch parties came after her aspirations to contest from the Jaisalmer-Barmer seat in the Lok Sabha elections under the Congress banner went unfulfilled. Despite lobbying fervently from Jaipur to Delhi, she was ultimately denied the ticket, prompting her to seek a new political affiliation with the BJP.

Before formally joining the BJP, Prabha Chaudhary and other notable figures met with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to discuss their intentions. Welcomed by BJP state president CP Joshi, the new members were ceremonially inducted into the party, receiving BJP scarves as a token of acceptance.

Chaudhary's political journey traces back to her student days when she contested and won the post of Apex President in the Rajasthan University Student Union Elections of 2011 as an independent candidate, marking a historic victory over candidates backed by both the Congress and the BJP-aligned student organizations NSUI and ABVP.

Not a stranger to rebellion, Chaudhary had previously challenged the status quo during the Rajasthan University Student Union elections, rebelling against the NSUI after being overlooked for candidacy and emerging victorious as an independent candidate.

Her rise to prominence was aided by fellow student leaders Naresh Meena and Mukesh Bhakar, whose support was instrumental in her election as the first female president of Rajasthan University. While Mukesh Bhakar currently serves as a second-term MLA from the Congress party, Naresh Meena has recently joined the Congress ranks, though his bid for the Dausa parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha elections was unsuccessful.

In addition to Prabha Chaudhary, several other notable leaders, including Jaisalmer Municipal Council Chairman Harivallabh Kalla and former Youth Congress state vice president Manohar Pabra, have also joined the BJP ranks, signaling a notable shift in the political landscape of the region.

Few weeks ago, a significant blow was dealt to the Congress party's stronghold in Rajasthan as many prominent leaders, including former ministers Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Rajendra Yadav, and Lal Chand Kataria, defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The departure of 1,370 leaders, including former ministers, sarpanches, pradhans, and ex-MLAs, to the BJP had sent shockwaves through the Congress establishment particularly with the crucial Lok Sabha elections looming ahead.

Among the notable figures who crossed over to the BJP were former MLA from Degana, Richpal Mirdha, alongside his son Vijaypal Mirdha, former chairman of the Rajasthan Scheduled Caste Commission Khiladi Lal Bairava, and former MLAs Alok Beniwal and Ramnarayan Kisan.

The influx of seasoned leaders into the BJP camp suggested the shifting political dynamics in Rajasthan, setting the stage for a fiercely contested electoral battle in the upcoming polls.