Brother-in-law of CM Chouhan joins Cong
BHOPAL: Sanjay Singh Masani, the brother-in-law of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, joined the Congress in a blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which, subsequently, released a video clip showing Congress state chief Kamal Nath saying he wants only winning candidates even if they have criminal cases registered against them. Hindustan Times can’t establish the authenticity of the clip.
While Kamal Nath did not respond to phone calls seeking comment, state Congress media cell in-charge Shobha Oza claimed that the six second video has been doctored and also taken out of context. “He is talking about people who have political cases (against them). It is in BJP’s nature to prepare and circulate fake and doctored videos and letters . The BJP is in shock over the entry of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s brother-in-law Masani into the Congress and is hitting back blindly,” Oza said.
BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said that the video shows Nath’s true colours.
Earlier in the day, Masani joined Congress in presence of Nath, state Congress campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia and Deepak Babaria. “Today, Madhya Pradesh needs (Kamal) Nath but not Shiv (reference to the BJP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan). We know, the way Chhindwara has developed. I am sure MP will also be known by the name of Kamal Nath,” Singh said minutes after being inducted into the Congress. Chhindwara is Nath’s pocket borough.
A senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity that Masani does not have any major political profile but had unhindered access to the CM’s house as he was CM’s wife Sadhna Singh’s brother. Masani hails from Gondia region of Maharashtra and was seeking BJP ticket from the neighbouring Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.
MP Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta was triumphant: “We have given a fitting reply They were boasting after former Congress MP Premchand Guddu joined BJP yesterday.”
BJP spokesperson Agrawal tried to play down the defection by saying that Singh has no political background. “The Congress might feel happy, but it will have no impact on the party. It might be news for the media, it is not for us,” Agrawal said. Welcoming Singh into the party, Nath said, “Everyone is worried about the future of MP. Everyone wants a change in the system.”