In Madhya Pradesh, veteran leader Suresh Pachouri left the Congress after 50 years and joined the BJP. This move is a setback for the Congress in the state, as more members are joining the ruling alliance. Pachouri, who has been associated with the Gandhi family, had a long political career within the Congress, serving as a minister and a Rajya Sabha member.
During the ceremony where Pachouri joined the BJP, he criticized the Congress for focusing on caste-based politics instead of working towards a casteless society like they had promised. He mentioned feeling uneasy about recent political and religious decisions made by the Congress, such as declining an invitation to the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony.
Pachouri defended his decision to switch parties by highlighting his past experience in the Defence Ministry and how the BJP values the bravery of the Army without questioning it. Other prominent figures who switched to the BJP along with Pachouri include former MLAs Sanjay Shukla, Arjun Paliya, and Vishal Patel, who were previously affiliated with the Congress.
Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised Pachouri’s decision to join the BJP and emphasized his dedication to serving under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, a tribal leader who served three terms as an MP from Dhar on a Congress ticket, also joined the BJP along with several other leaders from the Congress.
