The Aryavarth Express
Agency (BHOPAL): Reacting the state leadership felt that his departure will not affect the party organisation because his half a century presence in the party he never commanded any grip in the party. His record shows that he fought several electoral battles but he only tasted defeat. He contested local body elections. Vidhan Sabha seat and also for Lok Sabha but in all these elections, the result was negative.
But luck always favoured him and he enjoyed confidence of the party High command and repeatedly got Rajya Sabha seat and through Rajya Sabha he held Ministerial position. He held portfolios like Minister for personal and lucrative charge like Minister for Defence Production. During a Vidhan Sabha election he was chief of the party but the Congress faced defeat.
It is a coincidence that along with him he took several Brahmin Congressmen to embrace BJP. They included former Congress Brahmin MLA Arjun Pali, Sanjay Shukla and prominent Congress leader like Dr. Alok Chansoria. This will help BJP to get support of Brahmin voters in coming Lok Sabha poll.
The other Congress leaders who followed Pachauri into BJP include former MP from Dhar Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, former MLAs Sanjay Shukla, Vishal Patel and Arjun Paliya, former state NSUI president Atul Sharma and former Bhopal district congress president Kailash Mishra. Shukla had lost to BJP stalwart Kailash Vijayvargiya in the November 2023 assembly election.
The exodus takes place just two days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra exited the state after a four-day march.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav said, “Aage aage Rahul jaa raha hai, peechhe peechhe Congress saaf ho rahi hai (Wherever Rahul Gandhi goes, Congress gets cleaned out).”
At the membership function , CM Yadav alleged, “Congress leadership is ignoring good people who want to serve the nation. Why would any self-respecting leader want to work in such an atmosphere?”
Sitting in the state BJP office, Pachauri, a former PCC chief, said he was aggrieved by Congress’s boycott of the consecration ceremony of Lord Rama’s idol in Ayodhya on January 22.
“The recent decisions taken by Congress show that it is distancing itself from the principles and policies it was known for. Congress is alienating itself from the people. The relationship the party should have maintained with people of the country is not happening. Congress has been the party that played major role in the freedom movement. The party should remember it history and work,” he said.
In a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, dated March 7, Pachauri wrote, “I have given more than 50 years of my life to Congress, and held important positions. I have served the party and govt with absolute honesty and devotion. Today, the way decision are being taken by the party in matters of public and religious significance, has left me deeply hurt. I hereby resign from primary membership and all positions of Congress party with heavy heart.”
State BJP president VD Sharma said, “Suresh Pachauri has been Union minister, chief of Seva Dal and regarded for clean politics with in Congress. He is known as a ‘sant’ (seer) in Madhya Pradesh politics. Today, he has joined BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda. He has expressed trust in our party and said he wants to work for the party unconditionally. He said that it is necessary to answer those who raised questions on the Indian Army and boycotted consecration of Lord Rama’s idol.”
Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “After Independence, Mahatma Gandhi said Congress fought for the freedom movement and since we have got our Independence, the party should be dissolved. a new political party should be formed. But Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for his own selfish reasons for formation of a govt, did not permit Congress to be dissolved and took advantage of the freedom movement. The wishes of Mahatma Gandhi were not fulfilled by Nehru but Rahul Gandhi will breathe peacefully after fulfilling the wishes of the Mahatma. One after another, all good leaders of Congress are leaving the party after being harassed by the directionless, motionless leadership. They have come out to destroy the party and will end it.”
In his 24 years in Rajya Sabha (1984-2008), Pachauri was minister of state for defence production and supplies, parliamentary affairs and was also in charge of the ministry of personnel, public grievances, pensions.
At 9am on Saturday, when most Congress leaders had not even started their day, the state BJP office was buzzing with activity. Chouhan, Sharma, minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and coordinator of the new members joining committee Narottam Mishra were seated in the BJP’s conference room with Pachauri and the other ex-Congress leaders, waiting for the arrival of CM Yadav.
By 10:30am, the formalities were over. Saffron scarves were draped around the necks of Congress turncoats sweets were offered and speeches given. Congress had suffered another body blow ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. (IPA Service)
By L S Herdenia