New Delhi: Congress had to face a jolt today as its Jharkhand state head and former Union Minister RPN Singh quit the party and joined BJP ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Meanwhile, Congress Spokesperson for UP, Shashi Waliya also joined BJP.
Before his formal induction in the party, he tweeted, “This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP President Shri @JPNadda ji & Honorable Home Minister @AmitShah ji.”
This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiBJP President Shri @JPNadda ji & Honorable Home Minister @AmitShah ji.
— RPN Singh (@SinghRPN) January 25, 2022
After quitting, he first met BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He was then inducted into the party by Dharmendra Pradhan, Swatantra Dev Singh, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, and Keshav Prasad Maurya.
#WATCH Former Union minister & Congress leader RPN Singh joins Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections pic.twitter.com/HTGrFoNHDK
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2022
While the loss of a leader with a stronghold has jolted Congress, the party has not given it that much weightage. So, a team of ABP News asked people of his hometown Padrauna. The Congress later said that his “courtmen (followers) will also soon quit the party and run to join BJP.”
Who Is RPN Singh & Why His Resignation Matters For Congress?
Kunwar Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh also known as Raja Sahab, comes from an OBC background. He was born on April 25 1964 in the Rajdarbar family of Padrauna.
Singh’s father was CPN Singh who was the Defense Minister in Indira Gandhi’s government. His mother’s name is Mohini Devi. His wife is Sonia Singh who is a famous journalist, and they have three daughters.
After this father’s murder, RPN Singh joined politics and became MLA three times in a row. He was a Congress MLA from the Padrauna constituency in the years 1996, 2002, and 2007.
In 2009, he contested the general elections for the first time and became an MP after defeating BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya.
Portfolios
In 2011, he handled the portfolio of Union Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas. And handled the Ministry of State of Corporate Affairs and Roadways and highways in 2012. He was also the Union Minister of State from 2013 to 2014.
He lost the last two general elections to the BJP candidates. However, within Congress, he was in important positions. From 1997 to 1999, he was the head of Congress’ Youth wing in UP. From 2003 to 2006 he headed the AICC.
He also headed the Jharkhand state elections which led to the coalition government of Congress in Jharkhand.
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