Ex-MLAs, former police chief among 16 join BJP in Rajasthan ahead of polls

Sixteen people, including former MLAs and a retired state police chief, on Saturday joined the BJP here ahead of Assembly polls.

Taking to reporters, BJP in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh said "more and more people" are showing their faith in the BJP and attacked the Congress government over the "rising" crimes against women in the state.

Assembly polls in the state are likely to be held later this year.

Former MLAs Motilal Kharera, Anita Katara, Gopichand Gurjar, retired judge Kishan Lal Gurjar, former Madhya Pradesh DGP Pawan Kumar Jain, Congress leader Mridurekha Chaudhary are some of the prominent faces who have joined the party.

"Sixteen leaders and hundreds of workers have joined the BJP today. Several people had joined the party in the past and it will continue in the future as more and more people are showing faith in the party's policies and programmes," Singh said.

He said that the Congress government is responsible for the "rising" crimes against women, unemployment, recruitment exam paper leaks, and auction of farmers' land.

It is because of these reasons that people are leaving the Congress.

Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore said the state government should answer questions being raised about the security of women instead of distributing smartphones to them.

"There is no rule of law in the state. Corruption is at its peak and the youth is troubled by paper leaks. Lands of farmers are being auctioned as the government failed to fulfil its promise of farm loan waiver," Rathore said.

The Rajasthan government recently distributed free smartphones to women in the state. There is a plan to distribute 40 lakh smartphones with three years of internet connectivity free of cost.