Three MLAs, including one each from the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party and an independent legislator, joined the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, State BJP president V.D. Sharma said.
BSP's Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha (from Bhind), SP's Rajesh Kumar Shukla (from Bijawar seat) and independent MLA Vikram Singh Rana (from Susner) joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Mr. Sharma told reporters.
Mr. Chouhan and Mr. Sharma welcomed them into the BJP.
The SP later said it has expelled Mr. Shukla from the party’s primary membership in the wake of his “anti-party activities”
Now, the SP has no legislator in the 230-member State Assembly.
After Mr. Shukla joined the BJP, SP’s Madhya Pradesh unit president Ramayan Patel, while talking to PTI, claimed “the ruling BJP is showing its money power and luring MLAs from Opposition parties into its fold, resulting in the murder of democracy.” He said Mr. Shukla has been expelled from the SP’s primary membership for indulging in anti-party activities and joining hands with the BJP.
“We are also trying to ensure that his Assembly membership gets terminated, and will take swift action in the matter after discussing it with the Samajwadi Party’s national president, Akhilesh Yadav,” Patel said.
He also said that Mr. Shukla’s move to switch over to the BJP will not affect the SP’s prospects in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.
“We will contest the Assembly polls with full preparation,” Mr. Patel said, and claimed the next government in Madhya Pradesh will not be formed without the SP’s support..
