Five-time BJP MP Could Join Congress After Being Denied Ticket From Bhind

Gwalior: Former MP Ashok Argal could move to the Congress after being a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. Morena MP Anoop Mishra was also overlooked in favour of Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

Sidhi District President Kantidev Singh has already resigned from the post after the party re-nominated MP Reeti Pathak in its list of 15 candidates. Former MLA RD Prajapati has also expressed unhappiness after the BJP re-nominated Union minister Virendra Khatik from Tikamgarh.

Madhya Pradesh will vote in four phases – April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19.

Five-time BJP MP Argal, the mayor of Morena, had been dropped from the list of nominees in 2014 as well. He was again left disappointed after the party named Sandhya Rai as its candidate from Bhind for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Argal’s name was among the list of four probable, which included Bhagirath Prasad, Rai and former state minister Lal Singh Arya. Sources claim that Rai’s proximity to Tomar and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave her the advantage.

Argal had won as BJP candidate from Morena seat in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. In 2009, he continued the winning streak from the adjoining Bhind seat. Although Argal in 2014 was initially nominated from Bhind, the BJP later fielded former Congress leader Prasad from the constituency. Prasad, a former IAS officer, won by approximately 1.5 lakh votes.

According to sources, Prasad is also in touch with the Congress and could contest from Bhind, a seat dominated by the Scheduled Castes.

Morena MP Anoop Mishra, who was also denied a ticket, is reportedly against joining the Congress and also warned Argal against such a move. Despite his name not being in the list of probable candidates for Gwalior, Mishra is hopeful of receiving a ticket.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar dismissed all speculation of Argal joining the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh. Speaking to mediapersons in Gwalior, Tomar said Argal would not join the Congress even though he has been denied a ticket.

Senior BJP leaders Sartaj Singh and Ramkrishna Kusmaria recently joined Congress. Pramila Singh, former BJP MLA from Shahdol, is now a Congress nominee from the Lok Sabha seat. She had joined the party ahead of the Assembly elections last year.