Independent MLA Dinesh Rai Munmun inducted into BJP at late night in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: An independent MLA who allegedly called senior BJP woman leader ‘Vishkanya’ (poison girl) in August 2017, was welcomed warmly into the saffron party in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Thursday late night.

Dinesh Rai ‘Munmun,’ the independent legislator from Seoni assembly seat in Seoni district of MP joined BJP in presence of senior party leaders, including state party chief Rakesh Singh and mining baron-turned-MP minister Sanjay Pathak at a hurriedly convened press even at the state party headquarters in Bhopal at around 11.30 pm on Thursday.

The dramatic political development came just a few hours after newly appointed state Congress president Kamal Nath had claimed before journalists in Bhopal that several disgruntled BJP leaders were in touch with him and the decision to take them into Congress fold would be taken when the suitable time comes.

According to BJP insiders, the induction of Munmun into the ruling party ranks was like turning the tables on Kamal Nath, particularly as Munmun is believed to have strong bonding with Nath and another senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha.

Munmun’s entry into the BJP came just a few hours before party national president Amit Shah launched the assembly poll campaign in the state at a crowded conclave of party workers at BHEL Dussehra Ground in Bhopal on Friday.

The opposition Congress was quick to question the BJP’s haste to induct Munmun into its ranks. “Why was the ruling party in such a hurry to include in its ranks an independent legislator who in the past has not once, but twice insulted a senior woman leader of the BJP only. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan often tom-toms about his and party’s commitment towards women and girls. But now, Chouhan alone can explain why his party has included in its ranks a man who disrespected their woman leader in the past. It seems just to score brownie points ahead of Amit Shah’s visit, the state BJP leadership has hastily inducted Munmun in the party,” said Congress state spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

In August 2017, former Lok Sabha member and BJP leader Neeta Pateriya had filed a police complaint against Munmun for allegedly making derogatory remarks against her. Munmun’s brother Jitendra had won the election for the post of Lakhnadaun Nagar Palika chairperson, after which the independent legislator had organized a big victory rally to felicitate his brother. It was at the same rally that Rai had called Pateriya as Vishkanya.

Earlier in September 2014, Munmun had rubbed his hands in BJP leader Neeta Pateriya’s saree at a public program in Seoni district, an act which was recorded in the camera. While Pateriya had complained the matter to the minister in-charge of Seoni district Gourishankar Bisen and BJP district president, Munmun had played down the matter by terming the episode as banter between Devar and Bhabhi (brother-in-law and sister-in-law).

But on Friday at the venue of Amit Shah’s program in Bhopal, both Munmun and Pateriya seemed to have forgotten their differences. While Munmun said “it’s time to forget the past and start afresh,” Pateriya said “we’re hopeful that our new party colleague will now become more cultured in the BJP fold.”

Not only was Munmun embroiled in controversy with the former MP Neeta Pateriya in the past, but he was the only independent legislator who had voted in favour of Congress nominee Vivek Tankha in 2016 biennial polls of Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, thus ensuring the defeat of BJP candidate Vinod Gotia.

However, a year later, Munmun had voted in favour of NDA candidate Ramnath Kovind in presidential elections, particularly as Munmun shared a very good bonding with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

informed sources in BJP, however, claimed that Munmun’s entry into the party is part of a bigger plan to win all four assembly seats in Seoni district. Presently, BJP has just one MLA from Seoni district, while Congress has two MLAs.

With Munmun being a businessman-turned-politician whose family has ruled the Lakhandaun Nagar Palika in Seoni district since last four times, the BJP is banking on his political and money power to win all four seats in the next assembly polls, including Seoni, Lakhnadaun, Keolari and Barghat.