In a significant setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the lead-up to the crucial Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, Pramod Tandon, a prominent leader from Indore known to be close to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, has resigned from the party’s primary membership. Tandon, a staunch Scindia loyalist, had joined the BJP in February 2020 following Scindia’s defection from the Congress.
In an official letter addressed to BJP State President VD Sharma, Pramod Tandon announced his resignation from both his primary membership and his role as a state executive member of the party.
Tandon expressed, “I have been a close associate of Madhavrao Scindia. When I joined the BJP alongside Jyotiraditya Scindia, we shared a strong bond, but Scindia’s priorities have since evolved. I haven’t had any communication with Scindia for the past six months. I’m resigning due to the BJP’s perceived arrogance and dictatorial tendencies,” as reported by news agency ANI during a meeting with Congress City President Surjit Singh Chadha and Acting President Golu Agnihotri.
Another BJP leader, Dinesh Malhar, also resigned from the BJP along with Tandon. Both leaders are expected to be formally inducted into the Congress by party leader Kamal Nath. This development poses a significant challenge for the BJP in Indore, where the party has lost two of its prominent leaders.
This comes shortly after Samandersingh Patel, another prominent supporter of Jyotiraditya Scindia, left the BJP. There are indications that both Pramod Tandon and Dinesh Malhar may seek membership in the Congress party on September 23.
Several BJP leaders, including those aligned with Jyotiraditya Scindia, as well as sitting MLAs, have defected to the Congress, reshaping the political landscape ahead of the assembly elections.
Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to hold assembly polls later this year, with legislators for all 230 Assembly constituencies set to be elected.
In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress came to power in the state, with veteran Kamal Nath serving as Chief Minister. However, political turmoil in 2020 witnessed Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 loyalists switching sides to the saffron camp. Consequently, the Congress lost its majority, and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as Chief Minister.
