'Deeply Hurt on Religious Matters': Cong's Suresh Pachouri Joins BJP, Several Netas Follow Him

Last Updated: March 09, 2024, 13:25 IST

Bhopal, India

In another blow to the Congress party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, former Union minister and senior party leader Suresh Pachouri, ex-MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, Sanjay Shukla and several other MLAs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

Pachouri and the other former Congress leaders officially joined the BJP at its state office in Bhopal, in the presence of MP chief minister Mohan Yadav, BJP state president VD Sharma and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Former MLAs Arjun Paliya and Vishal Patel were among the leaders of the grand old party who also joined the saffron party. Pachouri, who is said to have been a close associate of the Congress’ Gandhi family, served as a Union Minister of state for Defence (defence production and supplies) and also a four-time Rajya Sabha member of the Congress.

Having been a significant party leader, Pachouri had also served as Congress’ Madhya Pradesh unit president. He was also the state unit president of the Youth Congress.

Meanwhile, Rajukhedi, a prominent tribal leader, was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Dhar (Scheduled Tribes) constituency on the grand old party’s ticket for three terms — 1998, 1999, and 2009. Before being a part of Congress, the former MP was elected as a MLA by the BJP in 1990.

SURESH PACHOURI’S TAKE ON RESIGNATION

Submitting his resignation to the Congress party, Suresh Pachouri said that he was deeply hurt by the decisions that the party took in matters of public and religious significance.

“…When I entered politics, I decided to serve the society and the country…Congress wanted to establish a classless society, but this has been sidelined today…,” Pachouri said after joining the BJP.

He further said, “The Congress party has deviated from the very principles it has held and stood for. It has alienated itself from the public and is unable to establish a relationship…”

BJP LEADERS’ REACTION

BJP state president VD Sharma, ahead of the former Congress leaders’ joining, had said that the Congress has “no space” for leaders like Pachouri.

Welcoming Pachouri into the party, former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, the former Congress told them that he wants to join BJP without any conditions. Pachouri had told the party leadership that he wants to serve the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Congress has become irrelevant. They neither have policy, leadership nor intentions. I welcome him wholeheartedly,” Chouhan added. The BJP leader had earlier also slammed Rahul Gandhi and said, “Rahul Gandhi will breathe only after finishing the Congress completely as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi. All good leaders of the Congress are tired of the party’s leadership which is directionless…Congress is on the verge of extinction.”

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and said, “Aage aage Rahul jaa raha hai, peeche peeche Congress saaf ho rahi hai.” (Rahul is walking in the front, while behind him the Congress party is getting cleaned up).

Yadav expressed disappointment that Congress leadership is “ignoring such good people who work in service of the nation”.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh also reacted to Pachouri’s entrance into the BJP and slammed the Congress party for not having “trust in their leader”. He said that the grand old party is a “sinking ship”, which is why everyone is running away from it.

(With PTI inputs)