A day after a Congress MLA joined the BJP, the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit president Kamal Nath on October 26 hit out at the saffron outfit, saying due to its imminent rout in the upcoming Assembly bypolls, it is engaging in “game of bargaining” and luring his legislators.
On October 25, Congress MLA from Damoh Rahul Lodhi joined the BJP after resigning from the Assembly. His resignation from the Congress came ahead of the November 3 bypolls to 28 Assembly seats, the results of which will be declared on November 10.
“Now they are left with only this option. I am getting calls from many Congress MLAs. They are telling that the BJP is luring them and offering money,” Mr. Kamal Nath said in Bhopal.
The BJP dismissed the Congress allegations and said Mr. Kamal Nath is not able to manage his party.
The former Chief Minister said the electorate of Madhya Pradesh is very simple and straightforward, but very much aware politically.
“Election is a celebration of democracy. But this has become a celebration of bargaining. I don’t believe in such politics,” he said.
“I have written a letter to the Election Commission today. Lower-level government employees are being pressurised to work in favour of the BJP,” the Leader of Opposition in Assembly said.
Mr. Kamal Nath said the BJP knows that it is not getting the numbers to save its government in the bypolls so it has started luring Congress MLAs.
Since March this year, 26 Congress MLAs have resigned and joined the BJP.
Baseless comments, says BJP
Reacting to Mr. Kamal Nath’s allegations, State BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal said the State Congress chief is not able to manage his party.
“He should not make baseless comments against the BJP,” Mr. Agrawal said.
The BJP spokesman said Mr. Nath is not even listening to the advice of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has condemned certain controversial remarks of the MP Congress chief.
In March, 22 Congress MLAs, most of them loyalists of Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia, had resigned from the party and the State Assembly.
This had led to the collapse of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led Congress government and cleared the way for the BJP to again come to power.
Mr. Scindia and his loyalists joined the BJP with some of the rebel MLAs becoming Ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government.
