Former Cong MP forced ex-MLA couple to defect
Pressure by an ex-Congress MP from central Madhya Pradesh forced ex-BJP MLA couple Abhay and Neelam Mishra to quit the Congress and return to BJP last month. As per Congress insiders, just a few hours before the Mishra couple (who represented Rewa district’s Semariya seat in 2008 and 2013) returned to the BJP, the ex-MP was forcing Abhay to ask close relative BD Pandey (who has been declared BSP candidate from Rewa’s Sirmour seat) to withdraw from the poll race. Pandey’s withdrawal from the poll race is essential to boost poll prospects of an ex-BJP woman leader (who is in race for Congress ticket and believed to be close to the ex-MP) from Rewa’s Sirmour seat.
Bageshwar Dham Sarkar event put off due to rain
Alert of heavy rain between September 14 and 19 for Bhopal has forced the postponement of a Hanuman Katha event being organised by Hindu Rashtra supporter and self-styled godman Dhirendra Shastri in the MP capital. The event – scheduled between September 14-17 and September 26-28 – at a ground in Karond under the aegis of 3-time sitting BJP MLA and minister Vishvas Sarang. It is on this ground where the Narela MLA had organized a similar event of another Hindu preacher. Sarang as well as Congress MLA and ex-minister PC Sharma have been holding Hindu events ahead of assembly polls.
Minister’s hand behind arrest, says Panna royal
Arrested on Saturday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments on Krishna Janmashtami, Maharani Jiteshwari Devi (of the erstwhile Panna royal family) has blamed BJP MLA and minister Brijendra Pratap Singh’s ‘power politics’ behind the incident. Released on bail on Monday, the royal had forcibly performed rituals in the sanctum sanctorum of Panna district’s Jugal Kishore Temple. She, while denying the allegations levelled against her by the temple authorities, said that she has been on the minister’s target due to raising local issues, including a threat to Panna Tiger Reserve by the Ken-Betwa river-linking project.
Anuraag singh
Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh
singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com