Kota: The Congress's sixth list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls released on Monday threw the surprise name of BJP turncoat Prahlad Gunjal, who will lock horns with Lok sabha Speaker Om Birla from Kota-Bundi seat.
Though Gunjal and Birla were in the same party for 18 years, but they never shared a good chemistry. Their differences were known in the circles. The rift between the two started after 2005.
The tug-of-war between two leaders often embarrassed the BJP and became a hot topic for discussion in the political circles. Both of them bickered over Land Development Bank, Agricultural Produce Market and Marketing Board issues.
Gunjal was an MLA from Ramganj Mandi in 2008. During the period, Gurjar movement started and he actively took part in the protest. During the course, he had a tiff with the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
The bittereness grew in course of time and he had raised slogans against Vasundhara several times embarrasing the the then BJP government. Over his rift with Vasundhara, Gunjal, the then MLA from Ramganjmandi, decided to quit the party.
After this, before the 2008 elections, Kirori along with Lal Meena joined the NPP. After the delimitation, Ramganjmandi seat also became reserved. Gunjal contested elections from Hindauli on an NPP ticket. However, he had to face defeat.
Many shades of Gunjal, rivalry & controversy
Before the 2013 elections, there was an effort striking a patch-up reconciliation between Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Prahlad Gunjal. It successed and soon Gunjal became a leader close to Vasundhara Raje. He was soon fielded against veteran Congress leader Shanti Dhariwal from Kota North in 2013. Gunjal defeated Dhariwal.
Law graduate Gunjal, wore many hats before plunging into bigtime politics as college president, district president and state vice president. He joined Bharatiya Janata Party soon and became state vice president and Kota rural area vice president. The BJP gave him ticket for the first time in 2003.
In 2018, Prahlad Gunjal had entered into brawl with the then Ramganjmandi MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal, who had lodged a complaint against the former at Nayapura police station. A case was registered after the Congress government came to power. Gunjal along with an army of workers, will join Congress along with him.
