In a significant turn of events preceding the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Naranbhai Rathwa, an esteemed five-time former Lok Sabha Member of Parliament and the incumbent Rajya Sabha MP representing the Congress, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today in Ahmedabad. Accompanying him in this pivotal move was his son, Sangramsinh Rathwa, who also became a part of the BJP fold.
Naran Rathwa, hailing from the tribal region of Chhota Udepur in Gujarat, brings with him a wealth of political experience. Notably, he served as a Minister of State for Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government back in 2004. Despite his illustrious career, he faced electoral defeat in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections at the hands of BJP candidate Ramsinh Rathwa.
Having represented his constituency in the Lok Sabha on five occasions – in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 2004 – Rathwa's tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha is set to conclude in April of this year.
Meanwhile, Sangramsinh Rathwa, who ventured into electoral politics as a Congress candidate in the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections from the Scheduled Tribe (ST)-reserved Chhota Udepur constituency, tasted defeat.
The induction of Rathwa and his son into the BJP ranks was officiated by Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil, who presented them with saffron scarves and caps as a symbol of their entry into the party. This event took place at the party's state headquarters, 'Kamalam,' situated in Ahmedabad.
