Madhya Pradesh: Three sitting MLAs join BJP, boost for party ahead of presidential, local body polls

After the defections, the saffron party’s tally has increased to 130 in the 230-member House while the Congress has 96 MLAs, and the BSP is left with one legislator. There are also three Independent MLAs. Interestingly, Congress’s Sachin Birla, who had won from Barwaha assembly seat in Khargone district, had also joined the BJP on October 24 last year, ahead of the bypoll in Khandwa Lok Sabha seat but is still officially a Congress MLA. The Congress’s application to suspend Birla from the Vidhan Sabha is pending.

Notably, the three MLAs are from three different regions of Madhya Pradesh – with Sanjeev Kushwaha being a strong leader from the Bhind area in Gwalior-Chambal region, Vikram Rana from Malwa region and Rajesh Shukla hailing from the Bundelkhand region. These defections to the BJP will strengthen its position in these regions ahead of local body and panchayat polls, which are being seen as the semi-finals before the assembly elections scheduled in November 2023, said poll pundits.

Sanjeev Kushwaha and his family have long been associated with the BJP. A few years ago, Sanjeev Kushwaha became the president of the Bhind panchayat on a BJP ticket. But he had subsequently moved to the BSP and won the 2018 assembly elections on a BSP ticket. Sanjeev Kushwaha’s father Ramlakhan Singh Kushwaha, a four-time BJP MP from the Bhind seat, had also moved to the Mayawati-led party and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Morena seat on a BSP ticket but lost to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

After joining the BJP, Sanjeev Kushwaha said, “I’m a member of the BJP family… Now, I’m happy to return to the saffron fold and be a part of the mainstream.”

SP’s Rajesh Shukla was suspended from the party after he voted for the BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections held in 2020. Thanking the party for inducting him, Rajesh Shukla said, “It is true that certain things happen only when the time comes. I have been working under your (BJP’s) guidance since the Rajya Sabha elections but I have finally been given this opportunity to join the party today. “

The third MLA to join the BJP Tuesday, Vikram Rana is a former Congress leader but had contested as an Independent candidate in 2018.

After joining the BJP, Vikram Rana told media persons, “When I had won as an Independent candidate in 2018, I wanted to join the BJP. But Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji announced that they will sit in the opposition as we didn’t have the mandate… It was important for me to be with the ruling government to carry out any developmental work. But when the BJP returned to power, I got the blessings of Shivraj ji. I have to say that there has been development beyond expectation in my constituency in all areas – be it education, agriculture or health. Today, I’m very happy and grateful to have finally joined the party.”

While inducting Vikram Rana into the party, state BJP president VD Sharma said, “He is one of the few leaders in Madhya Pradesh who is a staunch believer of value-based politics.”

Interestingly, all three MLAs, who have joined the BJP, had supported the Congress in 2018 when it formed the government. But after the Kamal Nath-led government fell in March 2020, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan returned as chief minister, these MLAs sided with the BJP.