It started with a coup in March 2020 when Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) along with his supporters. The chief minister at the time, Kamal Nath, had to resign.
No one knew that this would become a political trend. The BJP continued to benefit as more and more Congress leaders embraced the saffron fold.
The trend is active to date. Just two days before the third phase of polling in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on 7 May, Nirmala Sapre, a sitting Congress MLA from Bina, joined the BJP.
And while the third phase of polling was underway in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an election rally in Khargone, mentioned the names of the Congress leaders who had joined the BJP and the extent to which they spoke badly of the grand old party after changing the political hue.
Meanwhile, despite the BJP’s hectic efforts to ensure an increase in poll percentage, a continuing decline in the same has alarmed the party. Home Minister Amit Shah has already cracked the whip, saying that ministers will have to face consequences if the poll percentage declines in their region.