Ipsita Priyadarsini 
Former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd) joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 24 March .at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Apart from him, Former MP from Tirupati, Varaprasad Rao also joined the saffron party today.
Bhadauria was among the first Indian Air Force officers to fly the Rafale fighter jet and was also instrumental in finalising the deal with France for jets. Bhadauria served as Air Force chief from September 2019 to September 2021. Before taking over as Army chief, he served as vice chief of air staff.
Mr. Rao, a leader hailing from Tirupati, is likely to get BJP ticket from that seat as part of the party’s seat-sharing agreement with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP). The former Air Chief, who is being considered for a seat in Uttar Pradesh, said his new innings gave him a chance to contribute to nation-building.
Having retired in 2021, he termed the last eight to 10 years of his service as a “golden period”, praising the steps taken by the Modi government to boost self-reliance and modernise the armed forces. He also praised its measures for national security and lauded Mr. Modi’s foresight, saying the steps taken across various departments would help the country emerge stronger.Mr. Rao, a former IAS officer, said Mr. Modi was the most dynamic politician he had seen and lauded his government’s development initiatives.
During 36 years of his career, RKS Bhadauria has been awarded several medals: the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, the Vayu Sena Medal and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
