BHOPAL: Political circles in Madhya Pradesh are abuzz with speculations that the BJP is planning a ‘mini Operation Lotus’ against the Congress before or during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
According to sources, 8-10 Congress MLAs, including four Brahmin politicians from Bundelkhand and Malwa, and a veteran from central MP, are in touch with the BJP. While one of them comes from a family with ties to the BJP, another is a businessman-turned-politician who was earlier a BJP MLA.
Sources say that they are mulling a switch as they fear that they could be among the 25-30 Congress MLAs who may be denied tickets in the Assembly polls next year due to lack of performance and declining popularity. As per sources, some Congress MLAs are in touch with BJP through mining baron-turned-MLA Sanjay Pathak, who was earlier in the Congress.
While maintaining that many Congress MLAs are in touch with BJP, state’s Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh played down speculations that the party is planning to poach Congress leaders during Rahul’s Yatra in MP.
On the other hand, sources in Congress say that over 20 BJP MLAs, who fear being sidelined by the saffron party in the next polls, are planning an exit. Most of them are loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia who fear getting dropped by BJP, besides a few from Mahakoshal, who have been close to Kamal Nath for years.
As per a BJP leader, the party may not plan any defection from the Congress during the Yatra as it may trigger a retaliatory move with the help of some disgruntled MLAs within the party.
State Congress president Kamal Nath also broached the issue on Monday, saying, “Many BJP MLAs, who are afraid of not being fielded in Assembly polls, are in touch with us. But we will give priority to our organisation.” Congress MLA from Bhitarwar (Gwalior) Lakhan Singh Yadav and Leader of Opposition Dr Govind Singh had earlier made similar statements.
Responding to Nath’s remarks, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday said, “Whenever he (Nath) has claimed that BJP MLAs are in touch with the Congress, his own party has disintegrated. He is wrong if he thinks that BJP will not give him a strong reply if he attempts any misadventure."