Congress Slams BJP Over Puri's Rajya Sabha Nomination in MP

Bhopal, October 28: The Congress has come out strongly against the Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to field Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in Madhya Pradesh.

The contest has arisen following the resignation of Dr L Murugan. He had been a Rajya Sabha member from the state and a Union minister, and he gave up both his ministry and his Upper House seat, creating the vacancy that is now being filled.

On Wednesday, the BJP named Puri, who is currently Union Petroleum Minister, as its nominee for the by-poll. The announcement has triggered a sharp reaction from opposition leaders.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said the BJP's decision to give Puri a Rajya Sabha ticket from Madhya Pradesh exposes the party's fear. He argued that the seat was used for the party's political gains and personal interests rather than being allotted from Uttar Pradesh as might have been expected.

In his remarks, Singhar said the BJP appears to see Madhya Pradesh as a laboratory for political experiments. He claimed that the party routinely overlooks the welfare and dignity of the state's people while working out its political equations. He also asked whether the BJP could find no leader of its own in the state, adding that the Congress would not allow Madhya Pradesh to become the party's experimental ground.

State Congress President Jitu Patwari added to the criticism by saying that the compulsion to keep Puri's name within the government suggests something significant is holding the BJP back. He asked the BJP to clarify the questions raised about the matter associated with Puri's name and said the country deserves to know when those answers will come.

Patwari further told the people of the state that the BJP, intoxicated by its electoral strength, was openly insulting both Madhya Pradesh and the votes of its citizens. He said the Congress stands against this conduct.