Indore, 29 April (HS): Before the Lok Sabha elections in Indore, Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nominationm, effectivley ending Congress poll chapter in the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh. To rub salt, Akshay Kanti Bam reached BJP office and took membership of BJP in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Deora and Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Thereafter, Bam reached the Collector's office along with Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola and withdrew his nomination. After this, the trio reached BJP office and Bam took membership of the BJP.

Akshay Kanti Bam says that he was not getting any support from the party since he submitted his nomination. Meanwhile, Akshay Kanti met Bombay Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya in a hotel. After this, BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola was sent along with Akshay to collect the nomination forms, while Vijayvargiya himself remained outside. Along with this, the security of Akshay Kanti Bam's house has been increased.

With the withdrawal of nomination of Congress's official candidate Akshay Kanti Bam, this is the first time in the history of Lok Sabha elections held in Indore, when no Congress candidate will be in the fray. In the Lok Sabha elections held in Indore since 1951, Congress has won the elections seven times and BJP has won the elections nine times. Janata Party and Communist Party have won the elections here once each.

The BJP first won elections in Indore in 1989, when Sumitra Mahajan defeated Prakash Chandra Sethi, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. After this, Indore became the stronghold of BJP and Mahajan was MP from Indore eight times. Then in 2019, BJP fielded Shankar Lalwani as its candidate, when he defeated the Congress candidate by a margin of 5 lakh votes. This time also BJP has again fielded Shankar Lalwani.

Hindusthan Samachar/ Indrani/Manoj