Surat Replay: Second Congress Candidate Joins BJP Just Before Vote Loss.

Akshay Bam, who was running as the Congress candidate in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has unexpectedly withdrawn from the race and joined the BJP. The announcement was made by senior Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who welcomed Bam into the BJP leadership, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and state president VD Sharma. This decision came on the last day of nominations for Indore, which is set to vote in the fourth phase of elections on May 13.

On the same day, three candidates, including Congress’ Bam, withdrew their nominations in accordance with the due procedure, as confirmed by District Collector Ashish Singh. Bam visited the district collector’s office accompanied by BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola to retract his candidacy. The Congress had chosen Bam, a first-time candidate, to run against the incumbent BJP MP Shankar Lalwani in Indore, which has the largest electorate in Madhya Pradesh.

This move came as several party workers, including three former MLAs, have switched to the BJP in the state. The Congress also faced another setback in Gujarat’s Surat, where the party’s nominee was disqualified, leading to the withdrawal of eight candidates, ultimately resulting in the BJP candidate being declared the winner. In response to Bam’s withdrawal in Indore, local Congress leaders expressed disappointment and criticized the leadership’s decision to nominate him.

They cited concerns over Bam’s nomination form, which had initially faced objections from the BJP’s legal cell regarding the mention of a 17-year-old attempt-to-murder case. In conclusion, the surprise withdrawal of Akshay Bam and his subsequent switch to the BJP have raised questions and criticism within the local Congress ranks, adding to the challenges faced by the party in the ongoing election process.