By Pervez Bari
Bhopal – In Madhya Pradesh which goes to polls for the State Legislative Assembly elections on November 17, 2023, there are a few sitting MLAs who have not only participated in multiple electoral contests but have also displayed remarkable versatility by frequently changing their political affiliations, at times, even making mid-election switches.
These MLAs have etched a unique electoral journey, demonstrating their ability to secure victories, and sometimes even face loss, while transitioning between various political parties.
What makes their journey truly distinctive is that they have established a consistent presence in their respective constituencies, where the political climate has seen significant transformations. In these constituencies, voters have consistently cast their ballots for the same familiar face, despite the changing banners of the parties these MLAs represent.
BJP, Congress, SP and now VJP (Vindhya Janata Party), the political journey of Narayan Tripathi, representing the Maihar constituency, has been a roller-coaster, as he has secured victories in multiple elections while hopping from one party to another. Tripathi, who has emerged victorious under the banners of the BJP, Congress and the Samajwadi Party in the past, has now formed his own party VJP, hoping to win again under a different banner.
Meanwhile, Cong-SP and now BJP’s Rajesh Shukla, who has been a member of three distinct political parties, began his political journey with the Congress. He later switched to the Samajwadi Party, securing his position as an MLA from Bijawar in Chhatarpur. Now he is vying for electoral success under the banner of the BJP.
While hopping BSP-BJP-Congress-BSP-Congress Ajab Singh Kushwaha from the Sumawali constituency in the state has also experienced multiple party affiliations. He was with the BSP until 2014, switched to the BJP during the Lok Sabha Elections, contested in the 2018 elections on a BJP ticket (though he lost), later joined the Congress in 2020, and emerged victorious in a by-election on the Congress ticket. This year, when the Congress denied him a ticket, he briefly returned to the BSP, and then swiftly rejoined the Congress to compete in the upcoming elections in Sumawali.
