Madhya Pradesh: Six-time Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat joins BJP with Morena mayor

A former minister, Ramniwas Rawat is a prominent OBC leader of Gwalior and Chambal region in Madhya Pradesh

Published on: Apr 30, 2024, 17:50:27 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Veteran Congress leader and MLA from Madhya Pradesh’s Vijaypur, Ramniwas Rawat, and Morena mayor Sharda Solanki joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a rally ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Morena on Tuesday.

Former minister and six-time MLA, Rawat is a prominent other backward classes (OBC) leader of Gwalior and Chambal region. A former working president of the Congress, experts believe his exit will affect the party’s performance in Sheopur and Morena districts.

Rawat was apparently upset with the party for giving ticket to Satyapal Singh Sikarwar from Morena Lok Sabha seat. He said he joined the BJP to ensure the development of his area.

“He was supposed to join the BJP in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to Morena last week. However, the Congress assured him that his grievances would be addressed. Nothing happened and he decided to join the BJP after having discussion with (Union) home minister Amit Shah three days ago,” said a close aide of Rawat.

After joining the BJP, Rawat said, “Everyone wishes to do something for the people of their region and to develop the area. I could not do as much development as I wanted. Now, by joining the BJP, I want to take my region forward through development.”

Morena mayor Sharda Solanki, who held a press conference on Monday talking about Congress guarantees, also joined the BJP along with Rawat.

Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said, “It is surprising that leaders like Ramniwas Rawat, who rose as a politician in the Congress, are leaving the party. The party has given them name, fame and power. But these leaders shouldn’t lie that they are doing it for people as everybody knows that they are leaving the party due to personal and business reasons only.”

On Monday, Indore Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam joined the BJP after withdrawing his nomination at the last moment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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