GUWAHATI: Indore's Congress candidate, Akshay Kanti Bam, opted to withdraw his nomination papers on Monday, departing from the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The city is slated for polling in the fourth phase on May 13.
Accompanied by sitting BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola, Bam visited the District Commissioner’s office to formalise the withdrawal of his nomination.
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The news of Bam's switch was confirmed by Kailash Vijayvargiya, a cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, who extended a warm welcome to Bam upon his entry into the BJP fold.
During the scrutiny of nominations, BJP legal cell officials raised concerns regarding a 17-year-old case against Bam, specifically for not mentioning the addition of section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in his nomination form.
However, the objection was overruled by the District Commissioner, allowing Bam's nomination to proceed, as the section was added on the same day as the filing of his nomination.
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The case is scheduled for a hearing on May 10, just three days before the Indore constituency heads to the polls. Additionally, while Bam's nomination was accepted, the nominations of three other Congress candidates, filed as dummy candidates, were rejected by the collector.
State Congress spokesperson Ameen ul Khan Suri from Indore said while talking to the media, “State president should be made accountable for this. Bam didn’t have any political outreach in Indore. Why did the Congress party choose him as a candidate for one of the most important Indore seat? It should not be taken lightly because it is a matter of shame for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh.”
BJP legislator from Indore, Ramesh Mendola also welcomed Bam to his party. Mendola said Bam showed his willingness to withdraw his nomination to support the ideology of the BJP. A comment from Bam is awaited and this copy will be updated whenever it is received.