BHOPAL: The ruling BJP was in a for an early morning surprise in Madhya Pradesh, as its two-time sitting MLA Sanjay Sharma joined the Congress in the presence of national party president Rahul Gandhi at Indore.
Former BJP MLA Kamlapat Arya also joined the opposition party on Tuesday.
Sharma, the two-time BJP legislator from Tendukheda seat, is the third richest MLA in MP, with assets worth Rs 65 crore, as declared by him in 2013. He had won from Tendukheda in 2003 and 2013.
Sharma, who was accompanied by senior Congress leader Suresh Pachouri, joined the Congress in presence of all top leaders, including Rahul, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and party’s campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia.
“No development work was taking place in my constituency. Only lip service was being done by the CM and state government in my constituency,” Sharma said.
On Tuesday morning, Rahul had dropped hints in Indore about some exceptions likely to his ‘no-parachuters allowed’ formula for the November 28 polls.
Sharma had apparently sensed that he would not be fielded this time by the BJP. His bête noire in BJP, Lok Sabha MP Rao Udai Pratap Singh is likely to be fielded from Tendukheda this time.
The development is being seen as sweet revenge for Pachouri, whose close aide Rao Udai Pratap Singh, who won the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Hoshangabad, was won over by ruling BJP just before 2013 assembly polls.
