Jaipur: Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha, who was recently dismissed from his ministerial role in Rajasthan, has now aligned himself with the Shiv Sena party, joining the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
During a public gathering in Udaiparwati, which happens to be Gudha's constituency in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, Eknath Shinde addressed the crowd and commented that the Rajasthan Minister left the ministerial position for the cause of the people.
"Gudha has come to Shiv Sena. I welcome him to Shiv Sena family," Eknath Shinde said.
Attacking the Rajasthan government over Gudha's removal from the cabinet, Shinde asserted that Gudha had raised concerns regarding the safety of women and the state of law and order, which ultimately led to his removal. He then went on to question, "What was wrong about what he said?"
The Maharashtra CM said Rajasthan needs improved law and order, safety of women, job opportunities for youths and progress of farmers.
Shinde said that Rajasthan is in need of industrial development, with significant untapped potential in sectors like mining. This potential can be leveraged to generate employment opportunities for the local youth, ultimately preventing them from being compelled to relocate to other states in their quest for employment.
Praising Gudha, Shind said that he gave up the ministerial post "for truth" and therefore he has joined Shiv Sena.
Regarding the potential alliance with the BJP in Rajasthan, Shinde remarked that the Shiv Sena's involvement will be solely focused on the "politics of development" during election times. He further mentioned that decisions regarding this matter will be made as the elections draw nearer.
Rajendra Gudha and 'red diary'
In July, Rajendra Singh Gudha, who held the position of Minister of State for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, was removed from his post. This action was taken after he criticized the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot in the state assembly, drawing comparisons between incidents of sexual violence in conflict-torn Manipur and crimes against women in Rajasthan.
Subsequent to his dismissal, Gudha asserted that he possessed a 'red diary' containing information about alleged illicit transactions involving Gehlot.
Rajendra Gudha originally contested the 2018 assembly elections as a candidate from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and later switched to the Congress, along with five other BSP MLAs. In the previous assembly elections, the BSP had secured six seats, and all of its elected representatives had subsequently joined the ruling party.
