BJP MLA who voted for MP Cong govt returns to saffron fold

BJP MLA Narayan Tripathi who voted in favour of the Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government in the Assembly three months ago reached the former's headquarters on Tuesday and professed faith in the saffron party.

Tripathi, MLA from Maihar, and BJP MLA Sharad Kol from Beohari had broken ranks with the party and voted in favour of the Criminal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2019 tabled in the Assembly by the Kamal Nath government.

Tripathi, who reached the BJP headquarters for the first time since the Assembly vote, said " I was and will continue to be with the BJP. I was in contact with Congress ministers and CM Kamal Nath to ensure development work in my constituency continues."

He claimed he and Kol voted for the Criminal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2019 believing the BJP was supporting it.

Tripathi was accompanied during his visit to the party headquarters Deendayal Parisar by senior leader and former minister Narottam Mishra.

MP BJP president Rakesh Singh said the Congress' plans to lure Tripathi had failed and praised the latter for being a dedicated worker.

State BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal called the voting episode in the Assembly "confusion", adding that Kol and Tripathi had never resigned from the party.

Meanwhile, Congress media cell coordinator Narendra Saluja said, "Tripathi and Kol had supported the Congress during the Assembly session. They are free to go wherever because they had not joined the party (Congress). The two MLAs had even condemned BJP policies while extending support to us."

Incidentally, after voting for the Congress, Tripathi and Kol had termed it a "homecoming".

Tripathi had quit the Congress in April 2014 to join the BJP. He was first elected as Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Maihar in 2003, then fought on a Congress ticket in 2013.