Former MLA joins back Congress, says credibility gap in BJP

BHOPAL:

Former MLA from Bahoriband

(Katni),

Nishith Patel

, joined the Congress in the presence of chief minister Kamal Nath in Jabalpur on Thursday.

Patel was expecting an election ticket from the BJP, but was upset after not being considered for either the assembly or

Lok Sabha elections

, said sources.

“There is a credibility gap in the BJP. What leaders promise is not fulfilled. I am back in my old party under the leadership of CM Kamal Nath and have received an overwhelming response from all the supporters, too,” Patel told TOI.

Patel, son of former Congress minister Shravan Patel, was elected as a Congress candidate from Bahoriband constituency in 2003 and 2008. However, in 2013 elections, Patel had lost the seat to BJP’s Prabhat Pandey. A bypoll was necessitated after the demise of Prabhat Pandey, wherein Congress denied ticket to Patel. In August 2014, Patel joined the BJP and was expecting that he would be fielded in the 2018 assembly elections. However, the party ignored him.

“I have submitted my resignation to BJP president Amit Shah and state president Rakesh Singh. I am not aware whether they have accepted my resignation. But, today I have joined Congress in the presence of CM Kamal Nath and his cabinet colleagues Lakhan Ghanghoriya and Tarun Bhanot,” said Patel.

The BJP, however, downplayed the development.

“During election time, leaders seeking tickets change their loyalty. However, it will not affect the BJP, but the credibility of the leader himself,” said Deepak Vijayavargiya, BJP state spokesperson.