MP polls: Jolt to BJP in Madhya Pradesh as MLA Virendra Raghuwanshi resigns

BJP MLA Virendra Raghuwanshi resigned on Thursday, stating that he was "ignored" in the party

Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls due this year-end, MLA Virendra Raghuwanshi on Thursday announced his resignation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that he was "ignored" in the party.

Raghuwanshi, who represents Kolaras assembly seat in Shivpur district, said in a letter addressed to MP BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma that he had informed the chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) and the top leadership about his "pain" over the last three-five years.

"But they all have not taken note of it," he claimed.

"In the Gwalior-Chambal division, party workers like me were ignored by newly arrived BJP members despite working tirelessly for the party in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he added.

 

Raghuwanshi also alleged that corrupt officials were stationed in the Kolaras constituency to obstruct his development work and harass him and his workers.

He also targeted BJP leader and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who left the Congress in 2020, prompting several Congress MPs to resign and join the ruling BJP.

"When the state Congress administration fell apart in 2020, he [Scindia] had said that farmers' loans of Rs 2 lakh were not being waived as promised," Raghuwanshi said, adding that after the formation of the BJP government, Scindia did not even speak about the loan waiver.

New ministers in Madhya Pradesh cabinet

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expanded his cabinet and inducted three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs– Rajendra Shukla, Gauri Shankar Bisen and Rahul Lodhi, as ministers.

On Wednesday, the chief minister allocated portfolios to the new ministers.

Newly inducted minister Rajendra Shukla was given the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Public Relations departments. Gauri Shankar Bisen got the Narmada Valley Development department, while Rahul Lodhi was allocated Kutir and Gramodyog and Forest departments.

With the induction of three more ministers, the cabinet's strength has risen to 34. Now, only one vacancy is left in the cabinet.

The expansion came in just months ahead of the state assembly polls scheduled for the end of this year.

(With agency input)