Another Congress MLA walks into BJP, third in 12 days in MP

INDORE/BHOPAL: In another blow to Congress in just 12 days, Narayan Singh Patel resigned as MLA from Mandhata in Khandwa and joined BJP on Thursday. Congress is thus reduced to 89 seats in the 230-member House, and there will now be 27 bypolls in MP.
Like Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, who had walked out of Congress on July 17, Patel was a loyalist of former PCC chief Arun Yadav. Both of them are first-time MLAs. And five days before this, Pradyumna Singh Lodhi had quit Congress and was promptly handed a plum post by the BJP government.
Patel, 63, submitted his resignation to pro tem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma on Wednesday. “I urged him to reconsider, but he remained firm on his decision, so I accepted his resignation today," Sharma said on Thursday.
My sole purpose is to develop Mandhata, says Narayan Patel
Narayan Patel was welcomed into the saffron fold by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state president VD Sharma. Like the others who switched to BJP, he said his “sole purpose is development of Mandhata”, about 90km from Indore and home to the Omkareshwar Jyotirling.
“I have no personal interest but the development of my area. I met CM Chouhan and VD Sharma to request them for development work in my region. I have also prepared a list of projects. I believe BJP is pro-development and favours public interest under Chouhan’s leadership,” said Patel.
Patel’s resignation came out of the blue for Congress just as it was busy welcoming former BJP minister K L Agrawal and 400 of his supporters on Thursday.
Patel had lost the Mandhata seat twice in 2008 and 2013 before striking lucky in 2018. Like Kasdekar, he had won by a slim margin (1,236 votes).
In the past week, the 63-year-old had gone ‘unreachable’ twice, say sources. His phone was switched off and party seniors couldn’t trace him.
Yadav said he had taken Patel to Bhopal and met PCC president Kamal Nath. “I was in touch with him till two days ago (before he went missing). How could one guess that he would resign secretly,” he said.
“BJP is involved in horse-trading. Congress MLAs are getting moneytrapped by BJP. Whoever wants to go, can go. We will continue our fight against BJP,” Yadav told TOI.
Former minister PC Sharma also accused BJP of horse-trading. “The BJP leadership has only power in mind. All these leaders who are joining the BJP have betrayed their family and now pose a big trouble for dedicated saffron workers. They will teach a lesson to BJP leaders,” said Sharma.
CM Chouhan hit back, by saying: “Congress has turned into a Twitter party. Congress leaders only tweet their opinions. It was BJP, which brought about development in Mandhata. We all welcome Patel to the family.”
BJP Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia also welcomed Patel, tweeting: “Narayan Patel ji decided to support BJP for progress, growth and development of Madhya Pradesh.”