Former Advocate General Shashank Shekhar joins BJP
   Date :09-Feb-2024

Shashank Shekhar joins BJP  
 
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
 
 
Ahead of crucial Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh is reeling from a string of high-profile defections to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The latest blow came with joining of former Advocate General Shashank Shekhar into the BJP on Thursday. Shashank Shekhar’s switch follows defection of Jabalpur Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh just a day earlier. Both decisions are seen as major setbacks for the Congress, particularly in Mahakoshal region.
BJP State President V D Sharma draped Shashank Shekhar in a saffron stole, formally inducting him into the party in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, former State Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh and other senior leaders at the party’s State headquarters.
 
Momentum of Congress leaders joining BJP shows no signs of slowing down. Recently, Ekta Thakur, who had contested Assembly elections from Sihora Vidhan Sabha on Congress ticket, joined BJP, giving a jolt to the Congress. This blow was yet to sink in when Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh, influenced by policies and strategies of the BJP left the Congress to join BJP on February 7. Adding to Congress’ woes, former Advocate General Shashank Shekhar has now
officially joined BJP in Bhopal, on Thursday.
 
Shekhar, known for his closeness to senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, played a key role in various legal matters for the party. It is said that Vivek Tankha played a pivotal role in appointing Shashank Shekhar as the Advocate General in Kamal Nath Government. His decision to join the BJP further weakens the Congress’ legal team and underscores growing dissatisfaction within the party ranks. These events come amid rising concerns within the Congress about its preparedness for Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, on the other hand is capitalising on Congress’s internal turmoil and presenting itself as a more stable and united party.