Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, son Vijay Bainsla join BJP

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his son Vijay Bainsla on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.

"I have been actively involved in the Gujjar movement for the past 14 years in Rajasthan. I have seen working of both the Congress and the BJP and was very close to chief ministers as well. I have seen a rare quality in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a party worker, my objective will be to help backward people in getting their rights," Bainsla said.

Bainsla also met party president Amit Shah before he formally joined BJP.

Welcoming Bainsla to BJP, Javadekar said: "Kirori Singh Bainsla is a leader of Gujjar movement and has been promoting education of girl children. We welcome him and all his followers to the party. BJP will get strengthened in Rajasthan and will register victory in all 25 parliamentary seats in the state."

In February, Bainsla-led Gujjar community had called off 'rasta-roko' dharna on railway tracks across Rajasthan demanding five per cent reservation for them under Special Backwards Category.

The nine-day protest ended after a bill was passed in the state assembly earmarking five per cent reservation for the community in government jobs and educational institutions.Rajasthan will go to polls in the fourth and fifth phases of Lok Sabha elections on April 29 and May 6.