Jaswant Singh's Son Manvendra Quits BJP Ahead Of Rajasthan Polls

Ahead of state elections in Rajasthan, BJP veteran Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh today quit the party, saying him joining the BJP was a mistake.


 "Kamal ki phool hamari bhool thi (choosing the Lotus flower was my mistake), said the lawmaker at his Swabhiman rally in Rajasthan's Barmer, who has been campaigning vigorously in his constituency ever since he announced a rally for "fight for self-respect" of voters. "There have been many rallies on Gaurav (pride) and Sankalp (determination) but today's rally is the biggest - it is the rally for Swabhiman (self-respect), said Manvendra Singh, adding that "swabhiman is our right and we are committed to it." Manvendra Singh's ties with the BJP have been strained ever since his father was denied a ticket in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and going back to the issue today he said, he is "running out of patience" and now it's "time for him to speak out." Manvendra Singh was born on 19 May 1964 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in a Rajput family. His father is Thakur Jaswant Singh, a former Finance Minister of India, and mother is Smt. Sheetal Kanwar. Singh is married to Chitra Singh of Bhainsrorgarh.


They have two children. He is an alumnus of Mayo College and has an MA, having studied at Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He is a Colonel in Territorial Army (India). Before entering politics, he worked as a journalist at the Statesman and the Indian Express, with a specialization in defence and national security affairs. He fought for India in Kargil War