Deepak Joshi, the son of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and the late BJP stalwart Kailash Joshi, rejoined the celebration on Thursday within the presence of Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, throughout a marketing campaign occasion for the Budhni bypolls.
In Might 2023, Joshi left the BJP and joined the Congress within the presence of former CM Kamal Nath, in what was seen as a blow to the ruling celebration. It’s learnt that Union House Minister Amit Shah had pulled up the state management over the departure, which prompted him to personally take over the reins of the marketing campaign.
Joshi had turned up on the Congress headquarters with a portrait of his late father, and alleged that the BJP authorities didn’t assemble a memorial in his honour. He had additionally aired his discontent over being sidelined from the celebration, which on the time had former CM Chouhan on the helm within the state.
BJP sources mentioned Joshi tried to rejoin the celebration a number of months in the past, however Chouhan “put the brakes on the plan”. The BJP had additionally provide you with an announcement that former leaders who contested in opposition to the celebration should not welcome again into its fold.
Joshi, BJP leaders mentioned, is nevertheless the primary chief to return to the BJP – however solely after Chouhan gave the inexperienced sign.
“Throughout the meeting elections, Joshi had made lots of private feedback in opposition to Chouhan. For months, he has been chatting with senior BJP leaders, together with the state BJP president. However it took Chouhan’s nod for Joshi to have the ability to rejoin the celebration – a sign {that a} Brahmin face and the son of a veteran BJP member be allowed to return. Nonetheless, he not has the identical heft in state politics,” mentioned a senior BJP chief.
BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja mentioned, “Out of the 335-member Madhya Pradesh Congress govt, seven resignations have already taken place. As we speak, Deepak Joshi, a supporter of Kamal Nath and a particular invitee within the state govt of the Congress, additionally bid farewell to the celebration. Now, 327 members stay, with over 250 reportedly sad. Kamal Nath’s supporters are persevering with to depart.”
Sources within the Congress too claimed Joshi “had been making efforts to maneuver again to the BJP”.
“Within the current organisational rejig, he was given the submit of a particular invitee as properly. However he was sad with the brand new Congress setup after Kamal Nath left and Jitu Patwari took over,” mentioned a Congress chief.
Congress spokesperson Mukesh Nayak refused to touch upon Joshi’s exit.
Joshi made his entry into politics when he gained the Meeting polls for the primary time from Bagli in Dewas district in 2003, and later efficiently contested twice from his household’s hometown Hatpipliya in 2008 and 2013. He was inducted into Chouhan’s cupboard following a 3rd successive victory and remained its member until 2018.
He misplaced the Meeting election in 2018 from Hatpiplya to Congress candidate Manoj Choudhary, who went on to affix the BJP in 2020 and gained once more from Hatpiplya in a subsequent bypoll. Within the 2023 elections, Joshi was fielded by the Congress from Khategaon, which is much from his residence base. This noticed protests from the native Congress leaders, who waved black flags in his face. He subsequently misplaced the elections owing to lack of unity within the Congress.
