Bhopal: MLA Narayan Tripathi back in BJP

BHOPAL: MLA from Maihar, Narayan Tripathi, who had voted in favour of Congress-led state government in the Assembly a few months back, has returned to the BJP fold. Tripathi reached BJP office on Tuesday with former minister Narottam Mishra. Professing faith in the saffron party, Tripathi, speaking in front of media in the presence of BJP state president Rakesh Singh at the office, said he was and would continue to be with the BJP. MLA Sharad Kaul, who too had supported Congress also said that he had always been with the BJP. The returning of both the MLAs in BJP has come as a shocker to Congress prior to Jhabua by-poll. Terming Congress a directionless party, Tripathi said it has no leadership. He claimed that BJP can form the government in state anytime. The MLA clarified he was in touch with Kamal Nath in connection with works related to Maihar but he never left the BJP. Tripathi said Congress had created confusion that he had left the BJP.

BJP state president Rakesh Singh said Tripathi was told by the Congress leaders that he would be obliged by them. Singh claimed that Tripathi was given various allurements to join Congress. Earlier, Tripathi had appreciated Union home minister Amit Shah over removal of article 370 in Kashmir through a Tweet which was a message that he was still in BJP.

Tripathi, MLA from Maihar, and BJP MLA Sharad Kol from Beohari had broken ranks with the party and voted in favour of the Criminal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2019 tabled in the Assembly by the Kamal Nath government.

MLA did not join Congress: Saluja

Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja said Narayan Tripathi never took membership of Congress. Saluja said there was no reason for BJP to feel happy. Tripathi voted in favour of Congress government in connection with a bill in the state assembly and criticized the policies of the BJP. Saluja said the BJP need not rejoice on this development.