Kirodi Lal Meena’s ‘ghar wapsi’ to BJP imminent

Former minister and the face of the National People’s Party (NPP) in Rajasthan Kirodi Lal Meena will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although the party was yet to make an official announcement at the time of filing the report.

Reports of Meena, who is also the sitting legislator from Lalsot and a community heavyweight, returning to the BJP gained ground after the results of the Meghalaya assembly elections were declared.

The NPP has formed the government in the Northeast state with the support of the BJP.

On Saturday, Meena met chief minister Vasundhara Raje, state BJP chief Ashok Parnami and also held talks with some state ministers. There was hectic activity at the state BJP office since afternoon when the news broke that Meena was likely to arrive along with his supporters and join the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders.

Meena, however, spent the day holding talks with senior BJP leadership.

A minister in the Vasundhara Raje government during 20032008, Meena had been at loggerheads with the BJP ever since he fell out with the chief minister over the Gujjar-Meena clashes in 2008.

Meena had launched the Rajasthan unit of the NPP ahead of the 2013 assembly elections and his party has four MLAs in the 200-member assembly.

The three other NPP legislators in Rajasthan include Meena’s wife, Golma Devi, who was elected from Rajgarh-Laxmangarh; Geeta Cerma (Sikrai), and Naveen Pilania (Amber).

Over the last few years, scores of NPP workers and some prominent leaders such as PR Meena have joined the Congress.

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