BHOPAL: A former BJP leader has been rewarded by the Congress for his crucial role in its recent success in the Datia assembly seat by-elections in Madhya Pradesh.
Acting on the recommendation of AICC in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Harish Chaudhary, state Congress president Jitu Patwari on Thursday appointed Abdhesh Nayak, a prominent Brahmin leader from Datia district, as the party's state general secretary.
Nayak joined the Congress ahead of the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, ending his long association with the ruling BJP, largely due to prolonged differences with the party's then Datia MLA and then state Home Minister, Dr Narottam Mishra.
A former vice-chairman of the MP Textbook Corporation during the third term of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government, Nayak was initially rewarded with the Congress ticket to contest against Mishra from Datia in the 2023 Assembly elections.
However, just a couple of days later in October 2023, the Congress changed its candidate and, instead of Nayak, fielded former MLA Rajendra Bharti, reportedly under pressure from former chief minister Digvijaya Singh.
Bharti went on to win the 2023 election, defeating three-time sitting BJP MLA and minister Narottam Mishra by around 7,700 votes. Nayak was then assured that he would be given the Congress ticket from the same northern Madhya Pradesh seat in the future.
However, Nayak was again denied the Congress ticket for the July 30 bypoll, with the party instead fielding two-time former MLA Ghanshyam Singh from Datia.
Despite being denied the Datia ticket twice in less than three years, Nayak chose to remain with the Congress, despite overtures from his former party, the BJP, to return to its fold.
Leaving behind the dejection of missing out the Congress ticket from Datia for the second straight time, Nayak actively campaigned for the party, particularly helping the candidate in getting Brahmin caste votes in Basai area, which houses a sizeable population of Brahmins who have largely been inclined towards the BJP in the past.
While Nayak stood strong and loyal to the Congress, the disqualified MLA and 2023 winner Rajendra Bharti allegedly colluded with the BJP, due to which he was suspended from party’s primary membership on August 2.
Acknowledging Nayak’s role in Congress’s Datia by-poll win, MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari appointed Nayak as state party’s general secretary on Thursday.
