After Surat setback, Cong's Indore candidate withdraws nomination

In another jolt to Congress after Surat, its Indore candidate Akshay Kanti Bam quit the race and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday.

- SATYAPRAKASH SHARMA

The shocker came to light in a post by senior Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who flaunted the candidate in a photo taken in a car.

“Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam is welcome in the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state president VD Sharma,” Vijayvargiya said in the post.

Collector of Indore and returning officer for the Indore constituency Ashish Singh also confirmed that Bam has withdrawn his nomination from the seat.

“Three candidates, including Congress’ Bam, withdrew their nominations today as per the due procedure. The process has also been video-graphed,” District Collector Ashish Singh told reporters.

Monday was the last day of nominations for Indore, which votes in the fourth phase of elections on May 13. Congress had pitted poll debutant Bam, 45, against the incumbent BJP MP Shankar Lalwani in Indore, which has the largest electorate in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress chose him at a time a string of party workers, including three former MLAs, have switched to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.