BSP MLA claims she has minister’s support
A week after three MLAs, including the lone SP and a BSP MLA in Madhya Pradesh joined the ruling BJP, adding to the ruling party numbers in the Vidhan Sabha, the other BSP MLA Rambai Thakur has claimed that state’s urban development minister Bhupendra Singh has promised to support her in all development endeavours. She made the statement while campaigning for BSP candidates in local body polls in her constituency Patharia (Damoh). This has triggered speculations that she will side with the BJP in the Presidential polls. Rambai was among the seven MLAs who had supported the previous Kamal Nath government for 15 months.
Local polls turn report card for Cong MLAs
Being seen as the semi-final before the 2023 year-end Vidhan Sabha election in the central Indian state, the upcoming local body polls will largely decide the fate of Congress MLAs in the next assembly polls. State party chief and former CM Kamal Nath has made it clear that the performance of party’s official and supported candidates in various assembly segments during the June-July local body elections will be the actual barometer/report card of the performance of the 96 sitting MLAs of the grand old party and it will play a key role in deciding the prospects of them being fielded again in the upcoming assembly polls.
AAP stunned ahead of Bhopal city election
AAP’s efforts to create a niche for itself in MP politics through the upcoming local body polls suffered a setback right at the state capital. The party’s candidate for Bhopal mayor post Rani Vishwakarma silently withdrew from the race on Monday. The local AAP leadership, however, got to know about it on next day only. While alleging that she opted out of the poll race due to pressure from rivals, the AAP leadership is now left with no option but support former Congress leader Rayeesa Malik, who has filed papers for the June 6 mayoral polls.
Anuraag singh
Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com