NEW DELHI: Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief RKS Bhadauria officially joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday in the presence of party general secretary Vinod Tawde and Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
Bhadauria was among the pioneering IAF officers to operate the Rafale fighter jet and played a pivotal role in finalizing the agreement with France for these advanced aircraft. He served as the chief of Air Staff from September 2019 to September 2021.
Prior to his appointment as Air Force chief, Bhadauria held significant commands including Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Southern Air Command from March 2017 to August 2018, and later AOC-in-C of the Training Command from August 2018 until his promotion to vice chief of the Air Staff in May 2019.
Throughout his 36-year career, RKS Bhadauria has been decorated with numerous honors including the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, the Vayu Sena Medal, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. In January 2019, he was appointed as the honorary Aide De Campe to the President of India.
Tawde praised Bhadauria’s extensive service in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and expressed optimism about his future contributions in the political arena following his dedicated service in the defense forces.
Meanwhile, BJP is yet to finalise its candidates for various seats in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
