New Delhi: Jumping ship is a prevalent practice in the modern day politics. When political leaders are not getting the desired post, importance or benefits according to their work or status, they opt to look forward for a party which can provide a platform to fulfill their political ambitions.
Just like a typical executive who feels unsatisfied with his workstation. Likewise, previous years, politicians resigned and joined the rival party in this year. However, It was all most a one way traffic. These five politicians grabbed the headlines after they jumped to the other ship. Have a look.
1) Navjot Singh Sidhu
After much flip and flop former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu joined Congress in the first month of the year 2017. After the opening batsman Sidhu, resigned from the Rajya Sabha seat there were speculations that he may go with AAP which was all set to contest Punjab polls. However, he formed a new party named Aawaz E Punjab and after few months joined the grand old party.
He called himself a born congressman in his first press conference after the switch. He was later appointed as minister in the Punjab government after the Congress’s victory in the state under the leadership of Capt. Amrinder Singh.
2) Rita Bahuguna Joshi
Just before the UP polls the local leader of congress Rita Bahuguna Joshi left the party and joined the BJP. According to the rumors, She took this step after Congress declared Shiela Dixit as their CM candidate. However, in her first press conference after joining the saffron party, Reeta showed her discontent with the Congress high command.
She was equally miffed with the then media manager of congress party Prashant Kishore as per her statements given in the Press conference. Joshi’s decision bore fruit, as after the landslide victory of BJP, she was placed in the cabinet.
3) Shankar Singh Waghela
In what could have been a big blow to congress before Gujarat polls, the old party leader Shankar Singh Waghela resigned from all posts. Rumors were rife that he joined the BJP, but instead he formed political outfit Janvikalp. After his Exit, Few MLAs joined the BJP, which made the Rajya Sabha election between both the parties a high octane battle.
The erosion forced the Congress to deport his MLA’s to Bengaluru in order to assure Ahmed Patel’s entry into Rajya Sabha. Later BJP received the mandate for the sixth time in Gujarat. His resignation had a lukewarm effect on his career, as the Jan Vikalp was not able to open its account in the Gujarat elections.
4) Mukul Roy
West Bengal, former Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha leader Mukul Roy joined the saffron party in November. Dealing a major blow to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her once 'Man Friday' Mukul Roy resigned from the party's working committee, thereby setting at rest all speculations doing rounds over his strained relationship with the party. More than Mukul Roy, the BJP was delighted with this switch as it will help the saffron party to make a base in West Bengal.
5) ND Tiwari and his son
Ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, the veteran Congress leader and former state Chief Minister Naryan Dutt Tiwari and his son Rohit Shekhar joined the BJP. Mr Tiwari was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for three times and was one-time CM of Uttarakhand. The 91-year-old veteran leader also held many important portfolios during Congress governments at the Centre.