Former BJP minister Deepak Joshi likely to join Congress ahead of MP Assembly polls

If the BJP leader, a three-time MLA and son of former Chief Minister late Kailash Joshi, joins the Congress, it would be seen as a major setback for the ruling outfit in the state, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end.

Bhopal:Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Deepak Joshi on Monday indicated he is set to join the Opposition Congress soon If the BJP leader, a three-time MLA and son of former Chief Minister late Kailash Joshi, joins the Congress, it would be seen as a major setback for the ruling outfit in the state, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end.

There is a total possibility of it, Deepak Joshi told PTI over the phone when asked about reports that he is set to join the Congress on May 6. Asked about the reason behind the possible switchover, he said, The legacy of my father was honesty. I had flagged various issues related to corruption in development of the Bagli Assembly constituency (once represented by him), but no action was taken on those matters. I will take forward the legacy of my father, who was known for his honesty, he said.

Deepak Joshi, aged around 60, entered the Assembly for the first time from Bagli in Dewas district in 2003 and later contested successfully twice (in 2008 and 2013) from the Hatpiplya seat in the same district. After his third election victory, he joined Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cabinet and remained its member till 2018. The BJP leader lost the Assembly election in 2018 from Hatpiplya to Congress candidate Manoj Choudhary. However, Choudhary joined the BJP in 2020 and won again from Hatpiplya in a subsequent bypoll.

Choudhary and more than 20 other MLAs loyal to then-Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia rocked the Congress boat in March 2020, which led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government and paved the way for return of the BJP to power in the state. Since then, Deepak Joshi has remained largely sidelined in the saffron outfit, sources said. (PTI)