MP: BSP MLA, SP legislator & 1 independent join BJP

With this, the BJP's membership to the Legislative Assembly in the 230-member House has gone up to 130, while the opposition Congress has 96 MLAs, BSP-one, and there are also three independents.

Bhopal:With Presidential elections round the corner, the BJP strength has gone up by three members in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly after two legislators from other parties and an independent MLA joined the ruling party on Tuesday. This will also have a bearing on the BJP's total vote value in the Presidential polls, to be held on July 18.

Bahujan Samaj Party's Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha (MLA from Bhind), Samajwadi Party's Rajesh Kumar Shukla (representing Bijawar seat) and independent MLA Vikram Singh Rana (from Susner) joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

With this, the BJP's membership to the Legislative Assembly has gone up to 130, while the opposition Congress has 96 MLAs, BSP-1, and there are also 3-independents. Rajesh Kumar being the lone SP member, the party has now no representation in Madhya Pradesh.

After the induction of the three MLAs, state BJP unit president V D Sharmasaid said the three MLAs decision to join the saffron party stemmed out from the effective leadership of CM Chouhan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president J P Nadda. "These 3 MLAs are very popular and work with dedication in their respective constituencies," Sharma said.

Chouhan said that the trio has reached out to them soon after the 2018 Assembly polls when the BJP bagged 109 seats offering support. A working majority requires 116 members in the 230-member House. He said that he told them that it would not help them government as BJP did not have the majority.

"The Congress also did not have the 'magic number'. These friends approached the BJP that time also but, I had said that as we did not have the required numbers, we should not form the government. They (those who had offered support) were disappointed," Chouhan said.

"A regime (led by the Congress) came to power, but it lasted for just 15 months. These three friends were with the BJP in the Assembly as well as during the Rajya Sabha polls and were in constant touch with the BJP. But, now they are with us and I am happy and welcome them into the party," Chouhan added.