Rajasthan polls: BJP MLA quits party, will fight against BJP’s official nominee

Battling with mass resignation, BJP received another blow in Rajasthan when BJP lawmaker from Sanganer assembly seat – Gyan Dev Ahuja, announced to contest the election against BJP’s official nominee.

He will fight the December 7 election as an independent candidate. As per media reports, Ahuja quit the party as he was denied the ticket.

Ahuja hit the headlines, in 2016 for his bizarre comments on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when the controversy over Afzal Guru’s capital punishment was in full swing. A convict in the parliament terrorist attack case, Afzal was hanged in 2013.

The lawmaker had made a bizarre claim that “3,000 used condoms and 500 abortion injections,” were found on the JNU campus. Ahuja was reprimanded by the BJP Chief Amit Shah for his remarks.

“The party dropped my name without taking me into confidence. I was not even told the reason why my name was dropped. On the advice of my supporters and family members, I resigned from the party. I will now contest the elections from Sanganer seat,” he was quoted as saying by local media.

Attacking BJP, Ahuja said that his campaign agenda after quitting the party will focus on Gau Raksha or cow protection and the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Several BJP lawmakers in Rajasthan, including a minister, have quit the party since last Sunday, November 11. The BJP has so far declared 170 out of total 200 candidates in the three lists.