Former Madhya Pradesh minister Deepak Saxena, a close ally of former chief minister Kamal Nath, parted ways with the Congress party on Thursday. This decision came on the same day that his son Ajay Saxena joined the BJP along with 400 other Congress members from Nath’s stronghold of Chhindwara.
Deepak Saxena clarified that his departure from the Congress was not due to any issues with Kamal Nath, with whom he has had a long-standing association. He mentioned that he had to leave the party because his son decided to join the BJP.
He explained, “I had no issue with Kamal Nath. My son wanted to join the BJP, and I tried to persuade him otherwise. However, as it would have been confusing for both of us to campaign for different parties, I had to make the difficult choice of leaving the Congress.”
The BJP welcomed Ajay Saxena and the other Congress members who switched allegiances. Among them were various prominent figures from Chhindwara, such as Suhagwati Sareyam, Narendra Singh Thakur, Arish Khan, Ram Sharma, and Chandrabhan Devre.
In a letter addressed to Kamal Nath, Deepak Saxena expressed his gratitude for the opportunities provided to him in politics. He highlighted his journey from being appointed as the president of the District Cooperative Central Bank to serving as a minister in the state government.
Deepak Saxena had previously resigned as Chhindwara MLA to facilitate Kamal Nath’s candidacy from the constituency. Despite his contributions to the Congress, he felt neglected by the party in recent times.
Reports indicate a trend of Congress members defecting to the BJP in various regions of Madhya Pradesh. State Coordinator Narottam Mishra claimed that the exodus from Congress is escalating, with hundreds of leaders and workers leaving the party daily.
He likened the Congress to a sinking ship and positioned the BJP as the rising sun, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the BJP compared to the perceived neglect within the Congress.