Congress' Indore Lok Sabha candidate Akshay Bam joins BJP just days ahead of elections

Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya posted a picture on X with Bam, who was seen inside a car with the BJP leader.

Vijayvargiya posted on X, "Congress' Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, is welcome to the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, state unit president VD Sharma."

Local Congress leaders have pointed fingers at the top brass over its decision to hand over ticket to Bam.

Speaking to NDTV, local Congress leader Devendra Singh Yadav said, "I had warned about Akshay Bam to our party leaders. I had warned that he would withdraw his nomination. It pains us that party workers like us have been serving the Congress for years yet the ticket was given to people like him."

The elections in the constituency will be held in the fourth phase on May 13.

Earlier, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Gujarat's Surat, Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal, had won the elections uncontested after the nominations of other candidates were either rejected or withdrawn. 

As many as 15 candidates had filed nominations from the seat. 8 of 15 candidates including the Independents withdrew their nominations.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) rejected the remaining six nominations including two from Congress and their replacement candidate, paving the way for Dalal to emerge as the winner, citing technical reasons.