In the midst of the Lok Sabha elections, MP: Former Congress MLA Hari Vallabh Shukla and a number of others join the BJP

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A number of party employees, including an ex-MLA, joined the BJP on Saturday in front of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, dealing another blow to the Congress party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

At the state BJP headquarters in Bhopal, former Congress MLA Hari Vallabh Shukla, his followers, and other politicians took up membership.

Present at the event were BJP politician Suresh Pachori, who just quit the Congress party, state minister Govind Rajput, former state minister Narrotam Mishra, convenor of the new joining committee, and others.

“We accept you all (Congress leaders and workers) with an open heart in our family (BJP); as I already said, in the same way that sugar is ground in milk, similarly, we have welcomed you all,” Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a statement on the occasion. You are welcome to provide recommendations on any topic. The first round of voting in the state is trending rather favorably, and the BJP is poised to establish an administration with a commanding majority.” Former MLA Shukla said that he joined the party to further Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s development strategy and because he was pleased by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives.

“I have joined the BJP to forward Jyotiraditya Scindia’s development agenda and because I am impressed by PM Modi’s ideas. People are dissatisfied with the Congress party. Congress is no longer in contact with the public on the issues that made it the party of the people and allowed it to govern for 70 years. It’s now just a gathering of leaders having private discussions,” Shukla told ANI.

However, PM Modi transformed the BJP into a party of the people, including women, farmers, young people, and businesspeople. I have also seen the period when there were no BJP activists in the rural areas; now, things are the opposite. The party is isolated from the general public, which is why there are no congressional employees,” he said.

He said, “I think that if anyone can develop Gwalior and Shivpuri, Union Minister Scindia can do it, hence, we will have to connect with the development man,” when questioned about changing sides in the midst of the Lok Sabha elections. He went on to say that he would only work for the next generation and that he had no desire to hold any position within the party.

“We have played our innings and now have come to the party to work for the new generation,” Shukla said.