THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Bhopal, March 9: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress politician and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri, former MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, and a number of other individuals, including former MLAs of Congress, joined the BJP in Bhopal on Saturday, dealing a blow to the Congress.
In the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, state BJP president V D Sharma, and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pachouri, Rajukhedi, and other leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party’s state headquarters on Saturday morning.
Among the other leaders of Congress who joined the BJP were former MLAs Sanjay Shukla, Arjun Paliya, and Vishal Patel.
Also Read- PM Modi inaugurates Sela Tunnel in Arunachal, launches development projects in Northeast
In addition to serving as the Congress’ four-time Rajya Sabha member, Pachouri was the Gandhi family’s closest associate and the Union minister of state for defence (defence production and supplies).
Pachouri has previously served in the Congress in a number of significant capacities, most notably as president of the Madhya Pradesh unit. In addition, he served as the Youth Congress’s state unit president.
Renowned tribal leader Rajukhedi was elected on the Congress ticket to the Lok Sabha for three terms, in 1998, 1999, and 2009 representing the Dhar (Scheduled Tribes) seat. He was elected as a BJP MLA in 1990 before joining the Congress.
