Former Madhya Pradesh Congress General Secretary and spokesperson Rakesh Singh Yadav formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 9 July at the party's state office in Bhopal, just a week after resigning from the Congress. His induction was presided over by BJP state President Hemant Khandelwal, who simultaneously announced Yadav's appointment as the BJP's state spokesperson.

The Induction and What Followed

Following his formal entry into the BJP, Yadav met Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at his official residence in Bhopal. Khandelwal welcomed the veteran leader, noting that Yadav had served the Congress for nearly three decades and expressing confidence that his organisational experience would strengthen the BJP's state unit.

Why Yadav Left the Congress

Yadav had resigned from the Congress the previous week, alleging that Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari and state in-charge Harish Chaudhary had moved to silence him after he questioned the party's allegations against Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in the Bharat Nyas Trust land allotment controversy. He claimed that when he sought evidence to defend the party's position during television debates, he was instead served a notice for participating in those discussions.

Sharp Allegations Against Congress Leadership

Speaking after joining the BJP, Yadav levelled pointed allegations against the Congress state apparatus. He alleged that Patwari, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, and Chaudhary were 'running the party like brokers' and suppressing workers who raised inconvenient questions.

'The reality behind the party's recent organisational building drive is that all key positions are sold off. The party's mindset is outdated. Congress state President Jitu Patwari, Umang Singhar and Harish Chaudhary are running the party like brokers. The Congress party is not undertaking any work related to the public interest,' Yadav said.

He further alleged that important organisational posts in the Congress were being 'sold' and that workers who spoke the truth were systematically sidelined — charges the Congress leadership had not publicly responded to at the time of this report.

BJP's Response and Broader Context

Khandelwal, in turn, alleged that the Congress routinely suppresses leaders who question its state leadership and makes allegations against the BJP government without factual basis. This comes amid a broader pattern of defections from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, a state where the BJP returned to power decisively in the 2023 Assembly elections. Yadav's switch adds a vocal critic of the Congress state unit to the ruling party's communication machinery, particularly ahead of future electoral cycles.

The Congress is yet to formally respond to Yadav's specific allegations regarding the sale of organisational posts or the notice served to him for TV appearances.