Shukla is the second leader to return to the Congress from the BJP in recent times. (Twitter/INCMP)
BJP leader and former minister Balendu Shukla, who was close to Madhavrao Scindia, returned to the Congress fold Friday – a development the Opposition party claimed was a setback to the BJP as well as Jyotiraditya Scindia.
In his 70s, Shukla, a leader from Gwalior, was a minister for nearly 13 years when Arjun Singh, Motilal Vora and Digvijaya Singh were chief ministers. Shukla had joined the BJP several years ago.
???????? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????
—???????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? pic.twitter.com/T0wkXp96d1
— MP Congress (@INCMP) June 5, 2020
He took Congress membership at PCC chief and former CM Kamal Nath’s home. Nath suggested that Shukla had left the Congress because of differences with Jyotiraditya Scindia and chose to return because the cause of his defection–Scindia – is no longer there.
There are speculations that the Congress could field Shukla as and when by-elections to 24 seats are announced. Shukla has always contested from seats in and around Gwalior.
Shukla is the second leader to return to the Congress from the BJP in recent times. While joining the Congress again, former Lok Sabha member from Ujjain Premchand Guddu cited Scindia as the reason.
A supporter of Scindia from Gwalior, however, claimed that Shukla was a spent force.