Rajasthan Assembly Polls: Mahesh Pratap Singh joins BJP

Mahesh Pratap Singh, head of the erstwhile royal family of Kotharia near Nathdwara in Rajsamand, joined the BJP here on Tuesday.

Pratap Singh was inducted into the party in the presence of chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Union Minister and the party's poll in-charge for the state Prakash Javadekar at the party office here.

On the occasion, Raje said the Kotharia family was a renowned family in Mewar region and Singh's uncle Shivdan Singh had been a two-time MLA and minister in the Bhairon Singh Shekhawat government. She said Singh's joining the party will strengthen it.

Amidst celebrating supporters, Singh said he was happy to return to the BJP after a gap of 13 years. Targeting the Congress, Singh said the party was divided.

The joining of Singh is being seen as a counter to the Congress' move to bring former union minister Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh into its fold.

Manvendra Singh, who won 2013-assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Barmer's Sheo constituency, quit the saffron party and joined the Congress recently in New Delhi.