Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Former Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) RKS Bhadauria made a significant political move on Sunday (March 24) by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the national capital, nearly two-and-a-half years after his retirement from the armed forces. His induction into the BJP unfolded in the presence of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, marking a notable transition in his career trajectory.Having served as the 23rd Air Force Chief from September 30, 2019, to September 30, 2021, RKS Bhadauria hails from Bah tehsil in the Agra district. Speculations are rife that the BJP might consider nominating him as the Lok Sabha candidate from Ghaziabad, as per inside sources familiar with the matter.#WATCH | Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) RKS Bhadauria joins BJP in the presence of party General Secretary Vinod Tawde and Union Minister Anurag Thakur. pic.twitter.com/n3s9k7INmf— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2024RKS Bhadauria JoiningAfter his BJP affiliation, the Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) expressed gratitude and reflected on his tenure under the Narendra Modi government. He hailed the governments commitment to self-reliance in the defence sector, attributing it to bolstering the armed forces capabilities significantly.I thank the party leadership for giving me this opportunity to contribute to nation-building once again. I served the IAF for more than four decades, but the best time of my service was the last 8 years under the leadership of the BJP government. The tough steps taken by this government to empower and modernise our armed forces and make them self-reliant have not only given rise to a new capability in the forces but also given them a new confidence, Bhadauria expressed.He further elaborated on the tangible impacts of the governments self-reliance initiatives, particularly highlighting their significance in terms of national security and Indias global stature.Potential Role in Upcoming ElectionsWith discussions swirling around his role in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, there are speculations about Bhadauria potentially replacing General VK Singh as the BJP candidate in Ghaziabad. General VK Singh currently holds the position of the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Ghaziabad, having secured the seat in both the 2014 and 2019 elections.#WATCH | After joining the BJP, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd.) says, ... I thank the party leadership for giving me this opportunity to contribute to nation-building once again. I served the IAF for more than four decades, but the best time of… pic.twitter.com/B7U7pazklr— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2024However, the BJP is yet to announce its candidate list for the Ghaziabad constituency, with recent deliberations held by the partys Central Election Committee (CEC) hinting at a forthcoming candidate revelation in the fifth list anticipated to be released soon.
