Jolt to Congress as Jabalpur Mayor joins BJP
   Date :08-Feb-2024

Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh joins BJP  
 
 
 
 
Bhavana ‘Aparajita’ Shukla
 
 
News of Congress leaders winning the Mayor’s post in former Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s bastion Chhindwara, Jabalpur and Gwalior, hit the headlines in the State some few months back. But, on Wednesday, Congress suffered a set back, as ahead of Lok Sabha polls as Jabalpur Mayor and Congress leader Jagat Bahadur Singh ‘Annu’ joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with several other local members of his outfit. Jagat Bahadur Singh and other Congress leaders took membership of the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and its State President V D Sharma at the state party headquarters in Bhopal, a party spokesman said. Jabalpur is one of biggest cities of Madhya Pradesh.
 
Besides, Dindori District Panchayat President Rudesh Paraste and Vice-President Anju Jitendra Beohar, Singrauli's District Panchayat Vice-President Archana Singh, among others, also took membership of the saffron party, he said.
Jabalpur Lok Sabha Constituency consists of Patan, Bargi, Jabalpur East (SC), Jabalpur North, Jabalpur Cantt., Jabalpur West, Panagar and Sihora assembly constituencies. Mahakoshal plays pivotal role in state politics. Jabalpur is being considered as epicentre of politics in assembly elections. In 2023 polls, Congress’s tally is 17 and BJP won at 21, out of 38 seats in the region. While in 2018 assembly polls, the BJP had to contend with just 13 seats in the region. Mahakoshal is spread across eight districts. The region has 13 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates.
 
State in-charge of elections Dr Mahendra Singh, co-in-charge Satish Upadhyay, State Government ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya, Prahlad Patel, Rakesh Singh, senior leader Dr Narottam Mishra, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Rajendra Shukla, Sampatia Uike were also present at the Bharatiya Janata Party state office on this occasion. Along with Jabalpur Mayor of Congress Jagat Bahadur Singh Annu, Dindori District Panchayat President Rudesh Paraste, Vice President Anju Jitendra Byohar, Singrauli District Panchayat. Vice President Archana Singh, former District President of Dindori, Birendra Bihari Shukla, District Panchayat Member, Councillor, District Panchayat Vice President, District Member, former District Member, District Vice President of Youth Congress, Block Incharge and social workers also took membership of the party.