In a big setback to Congress, its Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Bam, dropped out of the race and joined the BJP today, just days before the constituency goes to polls.
Congress's Indore candidate, Akshay Kanti Bamb, on Monday withdrew his nomination, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The development was confirmed after Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya uploaded a picture of Bamb with the caption 'welcome to the party'.
"Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam is welcome in the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and state president VD Sharma," a rough translation of Vijayvargiya's Hindi tweet stated.
इंदौर से कांग्रेस के लोकसभा प्रत्याशी श्री अक्षय कांति बम जी का माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री जी, राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री जी, मुख्यमंत्री जी व प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री जी के नेतृत्व में भाजपा में स्वागत है। pic.twitter.com/1isbdLXphb
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KailashOnline)The Congress had fielded Bamb against sitting BJP MP Shankar Lalwani from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held on May 13. It may be noted that today is the last of withdrawing nomination and the polling in Indore will be held on May 13 in phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections.
Parshuram Dhada, a BJD MLA from Soro, returned to the BJP on Friday, ahead of the Odisha Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He had resigned from the party weeks before.
On April 22, the BJP's Mukesh Dalal clinched victory uncontested for the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. This came after all other candidates, including one from the BSP, withdrew their nominations one after the other.
Indore will go to poll in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 13 with seven other parliamentary seats in the state. Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19 and the second phase was concluded on April 26. The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.