Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): Former Congress Barwani district president Virendra Singh (Rathore) Darbar joined BJP in the presence of BJP state president VD Sharma in Bhopal. The defection has stirred celebration within the Congress in Barwani. Reportedly, Darbar has been serving as Congress district president since 2012. On Wednesday, Darbar served resignation from the Congress and switched to the BJP.
Congress workers celebrated defection by bursting crackers at the Court Square at Barwani district headquarters, turning the atmosphere festive. Block president of Congress Backward Class Morcha, Sunil Yadav, denied claims that Darbar played a pivotal role in influencing three Congress MLAs and led to their win. Yadav vehemently denied such assertions, attributing the success of Congress MLAs to the collective effort of party workers. He further said that Darbar was discontent with Congress’s decisions regarding the Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha, which took place on January 22, while Darbar's exit occurred on February 14.
Municipal leader of the opposition Rakesh Singh Jadhav emphasised victories of MLAs based on hard work and dedication, rather than Darbar’s contributions. He has previously served as block president, janpad panchayat president, director in various institutions, and district president in Congress. The news of Darbar joining the BJP sent shockwaves through the party. Darbar has been a significant leader and close to Rajpur MLA and former home minister Bala Bachchan.
When contacted, Darbar cited Congress's decision to deny the invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony as one of the major reasons. No importance is given to small workers at the party level. The Party’s stance on the Ram Mandir issue, lack of visionary leadership, and rifts within the party hierarchy were prevalent, he said. When contacted, MLA Bala Bachchan cited Darbar as a good friend but reasons for leaving the party have not been comprehended.
