Madhya Pradesh polls: A sarpanch & an ex-MP quit BJP to join Congress

In a personal setback for Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is leading the BJP campaign in the poll-bound state, a sarpanch from his own Budhni constituency and a former BJP MP have resigned from the BJP and joined the Congress on Wednesday, 20 September.

Sarpanch Rajesh Patel brought along 1,000 supporters, including several tribal leaders, to join Congress. He was welcomed by Congress leader Kamal Nath in Bhopal.

Rajesh Patel’s father Sriram Patel was a Jan Sangh activist. The Patel family was seen as being close to Chouhan. Members of the family have been elected sarpanch three times, with the support of the BJP in the Chhapri segment of Budhni.

Chouhan has represented Budhni himself since 2005. Yet attacking the chief minister, Rajesh Patel said that he [Shivraj Singh Chouhan] makes announcements without thinking of how he will plant to harvest the crop he declares.

Apart from Rajesh Patel, former BJP MP Bodh Singh Bhagat also joined the Congress. Bhagat had won the Balaghat Lok Sabha seat in 2014, defeating Congress’s Heena Kawre by a margin of 96,041 votes.

“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the Bharat Jodo Yatra in extreme weather and sent a message of brotherhood to the country. I am impressed by it,” said Bhagat, after joining the Congress.

Bhagat alleged that under the BJP rule, adulteration is a major issue in tribal areas. “Fake fertiliser, fake seeds, fake medicines. I tried to raise the matter within the BJP but I was sidelined,” said the former BJP MP.

“I am not asking for anything. Whatever responsibility is given by the party, I will implement,” he said.

Welcoming the BJP leaders into the Indian National Congress, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said, “I welcome everyone to the Congress party. Bodh Singh has been in Parliament with me. You are not supporting Congress, you are supporting the truth.”

“Today, there is no limit to corruption in the state. Every person is either a victim or a witness to corruption. Such a system has been created that gives money and takes work. Today, farmers are facing problems in getting fertilisers and seeds,” added Kamal Nath.

Speaking on the development, state spokesperson for the Congress Abbas Hafeez said, “This shows the increasing distrust of people in BJP and that the credibility of the chief minister (Chouhan) has declined like never before. The ruling BJP is losing ground badly.”

More than a dozen influential BJP leaders from different parts of the state have joined the Congress before the state assembly elections ahead. The exodus is sure to hurt the BJP’s electoral prospects, feel political analysts.

The state is scheduled for assembly polls later this year, to elect legislators from 230 constituencies.