 "Rakesh Gupta, supporter of Scindia, quits BJP to re-join Congress")
Former Shivpuri district vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rakesh Gupta, a 'loyalist' of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, marked his return to the Congress with a massive car rally of over 2,000 supporters on Monday.
Gupta joined the party in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Kamal Nath and other senior leaders.
He and Scindia both left Congress during the rebellion that brought down the Kamal Nath-led government in 2020.
'Rakesh Gupta returns home'
Apologising to Congress workers with his arms folded, Gupta said, "I'm returning home. The Congress party had given me my name, respect, and leadership. I've been with the Congress party for 40 years. I have served the people. From the time of the American Revolution until his death, my father served in Congress."
"I want to apologise to the Congress family because I made a mistake that has harmed my reputation. I have come here with folded hands. Please forgive me," Gupta said.
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"My heart was with the Congress, and my body was with the BJP... There is a significant difference between what the BJP says and what it does. What the Congress party says, it does. The Kamal Nath government accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. The farmer loans could not be waived off only because the government was brought down. My mind, body and soul are the Congress," he added.
Sources in Gupta's camp stated that Gupta felt sidelined in the BJP.
“He was not given respect in the BJP. He was made the vice-president of the district and not given any roles. He was not invited to any public events,” a leader close to Gupta told the Indian Express.
BJP's defection woes continue
Several BJP leaders have defected to the Congress in the run-up to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections later this year.
Dhruv Pratap Singh, a former BJP MLA from Katni district, left the party on June 23 after disagreements with party president VD Sharma.
Deepak Joshi, a former minister, quit BJP in May after being sidelined by the party leadership.
Another BJP leader, Baijnath Singh Yadav, broke ties with Scindia after allegedly not being given a seat in the election and joined the Congress with a 700-car rally in June. Yadvendra Singh Yadav defected from the BJP to the Congress in March, taking potshots at Scindia.
The BJP, on the other hand, claimed that the leaders who had left the party were dissatisfied and worried about their future.
"Those who are leaving thought they would be given tickets. But it is a rigorous process, and only the most deserving candidates will be selected. You must work on the ground to obtain a ticket," the party said.