MP: Only Two Victorious, Five BJP Defectors Face Uncertain Future In Congress

Decision of Bhawar Singh Shekawat, and Abhay Mishra to switch loyalty proved right as both managed to win respective seats

Staff Reporter Updated: Thursday, December 07, 2023, 01:19 AM IST

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Out of the seven BJP leaders who defected to join Congress and contested the assembly election, only two emerged victorious. The political fate of the remaining five BJP defectors now teeters on uncertainty, with their future in the party they've aligned with appearing rather dim.

A few months ahead of the polls, Deepak Joshi, son of former chief minister late Kailash Joshi, had shifted allegiance and joined Congress. The grand old party fielded him from Khategaon assembly seat. Considered to be an outsider, Joshi lost the electoral battle and now his political career hangs in the balance.

Another BJP leader Neeraj Sharma, who moved to Congress met the similar fate as he lost election to BJP candidate Govind Singh from Surkhi assembly seat.

However, for Bhawar Singh Shekawat, the decision to shift to Congress just three months ahead of the polls proved right as he managed to win the Badnawar seat for the grand old party.

And also for Abhay Mishra the decision to shift loyalty did not go wrong. Congress did not think twice in fielding him from the Semaria assembly seat against BJP candidate KP Tripathi. Mishra managed to win amid a strong pro-BJP wave.

Girijashankar Sharma is also among the unlucky lot who had left BJP in September to join Congress. The party pitted him against his brother Dr Sitasharan Sharma from Narmadapuram assembly seat. He lost the electoral battle to his brother.

Samandar Patel, once a loyalist of Jyotiraditya Scinda, had moved to Congress just a few months before the assembly elections. He contested election from Jawad seat on Congress ticket but faxed defeat at the hands of BJP candidate Omprakash Sakhlecha.

After getting expelled from the post of BJP district vice president of Niwari on the charges of anti-party activities, Amit Rai had joined Congress and contested from Niwari seat. He lost the election to BJP candidate Anil Jain.

Published on: Thursday, December 07, 2023, 01:19 AM IST

RECENT STORIES