Suresh Pachouri (L) joins the BJP in Bhopal on Saturday. PTI
New Delhi, March 9
The Congress suffered a major setback in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday with former Union minister and a confidante of the Gandhi family, Suresh Pachouri joining the BJP in Bhopal.
BJP YET TO NAME CHHINDWARA LS CANDIDATE
BJP circles are still abuzz with the possible entry of Congress veteran Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath in the party. Nakul Nath is the sitting Chhindwara MP, the only Congress candidate to win in MP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP on March 2 named 24 of MP’s 29 Lok Sabha candidates. Chhindwara was among the five seats where BJP did not declare any face
Ending a five decade association with the Congress, Pachouri, 71, said he joined the Congress to serve the country. “Now they are talking about caste. In the last few days, the political and religion-related decisions taken by the Congress made me very uneasy,” Pachouri said in reference to the party's decision not to attend the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya and Rahul Gandhi's caste census pitch.
“I have served in the Defence Ministry. Never were questions raised about the Army's bravery. There was never a talk to provide 'evidence' (as sought by Congress leaders regarding the 'surgical strikes'),” Pachouri said justifying the switch in the presence of Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, state BJP chief VD Sharma and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Hailing Pachouri's decision, Chouhan said, “Pachouri ji has joined the BJP without any conditions. When he was asked about it, he said the Congress has become irrelevant and doesn't have any leadership or policy. Pachouri ji has come to the BJP to serve the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. The Congress is on the verge of extinction.” Other prominent Congress leaders who joined BJP were former MLAs Sanjay Shukla, Arjun Paliya, and Vishal Patel.
The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.
Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.
Most Read In 24 Hours
Don't Miss
View All
Top News
Election Commission has banned party’s campaign song, claims AAP
It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban ...
Drugs worth Rs 600 crore seized from Pakistani boat off Gujarat coast; 14 crew members held
The overnight operation in the Arabian Sea was carried out i...
Arvinder Singh Lovely resigns as Delhi Congress chief
Lovely expresses his disagreement with the decision to ally ...
Siddaramaiah orders SIT probe into 'sex scandal' involving Deve Gowda’s grandson
Prajwal Revanna was the NDA candidate in Hassan Lok Sabha co...
Village defence guard killed in gunfight with terrorists in J-K's Udhampur
A massive search operation is under way to flush out the ter...
