Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is becoming a headache for the BJP and the Congress in the state as it opened its doors to the rebels of both the parties.
BJP legislator from Bhind Sanjeev Kushwaha, denied a ticket by the party, joined the BSP on Thursday. Kushwaha contested the previous election on the BSP ticket.
Since the BJP did not give him a ticket, he joined the BSP in 2018. But when the BJP formed the government, he resigned from the BSP and took BJP membership. Because the BJP denied him a ticket from Bhind, Kushwaha again joined the BSP.
Now, he is contesting on the BSP ticket. The BSP is welcoming BJP and Congress rebels with open arms. Rustam Singh and Rakesh Singh rebelled against the BJP in Morena and joined the BSP, which has given a ticket to Rakesh Singh from the constituency.
Ajab Singh Kushwaha, who did not initially get a Congress ticket from Sumawali, joined the BSP and got a ticket. He, however, returned to the Congress after the party agreed to field him from Sumawali. After the Congress gave a ticket to Kushwaha, the party candidate from Sumawali Kuldeep Sikarwar joined the BSP and got a ticket.
The BSP has also given a ticket to Congress rebel from Nagod constituency Yadvendra Singh and BJP rebel from Lahar seat Rasal Singh. Since the BSP has given tickets to the rebels of both the key parties in the state, it has got some strong candidates in some seats.
The party won 11 seats in 1993 and 1998. It got two seats in 2003, seven in 20018, four in 2013 and two in 2018. In the ensuing election, too, the BSP is likely to do well.
