Blow to MP CM: Kin joins Congress, seeks his ouster

Bhopal/New Delhi: A day after Madhya Pradesh BJP inducted a senior dalit leader and former MP of the Congress, the latter on Saturday struck back by poaching Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh’s brother-in-law Sanjay Singh Masani, a vocal critic of the saffron party for allegedly pursing dynasty politics in ticket distribution.

Mr Masani, who is the brother of Mr Chouhan’s wife Sadhna Singh, switched sides weeks before the state goes to polls on November 28 due to his displeasure over the BJP overlooking his claim for a ticket.  

Mr Masani, who has acted in small roles in Bollywood films, was seeking a BJP ticket from Barasibni Assembly constituency in Balaghat district but the ruling party chose to re-nominate sitting MLA Yogendra Nirmal while releasing its first list of 176 candidates on Friday.

The chief minister’s brother-in-law joined the Congress in the presence of its Madhya Pradesh unit president Kamal Nath and senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Addressing the media, Mr Masani said, “Madhya Pradesh does not need Shivraj but Nath. We all know how Chhindwara has been developed and is identified with Kamal Nath. The state also needs to be identified with him.”

Mr Masani, who had earlier come under severe criticism from the Congress on corruption issues, said, “The BJP is now all about dynasty and nepotism. Most of the candidates fielded by the BJP are sons and daughters of MLAs or MPs. Those who work for the party are being neglected for the sake of dynasty politics.”

“Rising unemployment and lack of industry are two major problems in the state and the Chouhan government has done nothing all these years,” he said.

Mr Nath said that all sections of society are affected by Mr Chouhan’s misrule, and the decision of Mr Masani to join the Congress is a reflection of people’s wish to chart a new course of development.

MP Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta highlighted Mr Masani’s induction as a morale booster for the party. “We have given a fitting reply. They were boasting after former Congress MP Premchand Guddu joined the BJP on Friday.”  

State BJP president Rakesh Singh tried to play down the development saying that in a democracy everyone has the  right to join any political party.

BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “The Congress might feel happy, but it will have no impact on the party as Mr Masani has no mass base.”

Another BJP leader said that Mr Masani, a native of Gondia in Maharashtra, was known in party circles more as chief minister’s brother-in-law than an organisation man. “He hardly ever occupied any position in the BJP,” he said.

The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003. The 230-member Assembly will have a single phase polling on November 28. The results will be declared on December 11.