Date:15/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/15/stories/2008111555780100.htm

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Vishvendra Singh joins Congress

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The former Lok Sabha member, Vishvendra Singh – who left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday — returned to the Congress on Friday and is now a serious contender for the Deeg-Kumher Assembly ticket in Rajasthan.

His admission into the Congress – a party with which he started his political career two decades ago – was announced by All-India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of organisational matters, Janardan Dwivedi, here in the evening.

Forgone conclusion

Mr. Singh’s candidature from Deeg-Kumher in the Bharatpur area is almost a foregone conclusion but the Congress is yet to make a formal announcement.

The return of this Bharatpur royal to the Congress was finalised within a day of his leaving the BJP and resigning from his Lok Sabha seat on Thursday. Mr. Singh’s grouse against the BJP was that it had ignored his demands over allocation of party ticket; particularly in Deeg-Kumher.

The BJP has decided to field Rajasthan Industries Minister Digamber Singh from the Assembly segment.