Congress Loses Second Candidate in Surat By-election as He Joins BJP

Akshay Bam, the Congress candidate in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, surprised many today by dropping out of the race and joining the BJP. The unexpected move was announced by senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya in a post, where he welcomed Bam to the party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and state president VD Sharma. Today, the last day of nominations for Indore, saw three candidates, including Congress’ Bam, withdraw their nominations in accordance with the due procedure, which was also videographed, according to District Collector Ashish Singh. Accompanied by BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola, Akshay Bam visited the district collector’s office to retract his candidacy.

The Congress had fielded Bam, a political novice, aged 45, against the incumbent BJP MP Shankar Lalwani in Indore, the largest electorate in Madhya Pradesh. This move came at a time when several party workers, including three former MLAs, have switched to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, indicating a trend of defections from the opposition party. Last week, the Congress suffered a setback in Gujarat’s Surat, where the party’s nominee was disqualified, leading to the withdrawal of several candidates and resulting in a BJP victory. In the wake of Bam’s withdrawal, local Congress leaders in Indore expressed their disappointment and questioned the leadership’s decision to nominate him.

One leader, Devendra Singh Yadav, voiced his concerns to NDTV, expressing regret that the ticket was given to Bam despite their years of service to the Congress. During the nomination scrutiny, the BJP’s legal cell had objected to Bam’s nomination form, citing a 17-year-old land dispute and an attempt to murder case under section 307 of the IPC. However, the objection was overruled and his nomination was accepted. These events have stirred significant political activity in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, reflecting the dynamics of the upcoming elections.