Jaipur, May 24 (IANS) The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has appointed former MLA Joginder Singh Awana as the new Rajasthan Party President.

Last month, Awana had quit the Congress and joined the RLD.On assuming responsibility, Awana said that he will strategise with senior party leaders and conduct statewide tours.Previously recognized as a close associate of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Awana expressed gratitude towards RLD leadership for his new role.He said that he had recently met RLD President Jayant Chaudhary, who is proposed to visit Jaipur in June.Drawing a blueprint for his action plan, the new State RLD President said he has prioritised teamwork based on his political experience.He has visited all the districts in Rajasthan and the party’s team is working strongly everywhere.Their goal is to strengthen the party organisation from the divisional level to the Assembly and booth levels, Awana said.Awana’s induction into RLD took place in Delhi in the presence of Union Minister and RLD President Jayant Chaudhary. His decision marks a fresh political beginning and is seen as a strategic move that could alter voter dynamics in eastern Rajasthan.Awana, who commands strong grassroots support in Bharatpur and surrounding regions, first gained prominence during the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections. Contesting from the Nadbai constituency on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket, he defeated BJP’s Krishnendra Kaur (Deepa), a royal family member, securing more than 50,000 votes. He later joined Congress and remained active until his recent switch to RLD.RLD National General Secretary Trilok Tyagi and other national party leaders were present at the event.Tyagi said that RLD stays committed to farmers’ interest throughout the country and has been interacting with the BJP-led state government to ensure their demands are fulfilled.Now, the RLD will stay active in the desert state as well and will participate in the panchayat and Assembly polls, he added.The state Assembly polls in 2028 will see a stronger presence of the RLD in Rajasthan, Tyagi said.–IANSarc/khz