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Days after defecting to BJP, Chhindwara mayor asks people to vote for Congress
Vikram Ahake, the mayor of Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, blamed Nakul Nath for his defecting to the BJP and accused the Congress candidate of insulting tribals
Vikram Ahake, the mayor of Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh who defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this month, asked voters to vote to re-elect Congress member of Parliament Nakul Nath in the video ahead of the polling on Friday in the region in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls.
“Today I am going to present my point of view without pressure. A few days ago, I joined a political party [BJP]. But ever since I joined, I was feeling suffocated. I felt...I was wrong...wronging the person who developed Chhindwara, and helped the people of Chhindwara in their pain, suffering, education...treatment...the person who always gives priority to development works,” he said in the video.
Ahake, 34, who could not be contacted despite repeated attempts, is tribal. He was elected as Chhindwara’s mayor in 2022. Ahake blamed Nath for his defecting to the BJP and accused the Congress candidate of insulting tribals. Chhindwara is a stronghold of the Naths. BJP’s candidate Vivek Bunty Sahu is hoping to wrest the seat.
Nakul Nath, whose father Kamal Nath represented the Chhindwara seat over nine terms, said they have served the people of Chhindwara for 44 years. “Have full confidence that the public will support the truth,” he said after voting.
Chhindwara is one of the six seats going to the polls in Madhya Pradesh in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. A turnout of 30.46% was recorded in Chhindwara, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Shahdol, and Sidhi between 7am 11am. Residents boycotted voting in parts of Shahdol, Balaghat, and Sidhi in protest against the absence of basic facilities such as drinking water.
