BJP mulls homecoming of rebels ahead of 2019 polls

Bhopal: In a significant development, BJP here has initiated a move to take back the party rebels, expelled for working against official candidates in the 2018 assembly elections, keeping in view the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The state party leadership has started wooing the rebels following a signal to this effect by BJP national president Amit Shah, a senior party leader disclosed to this newspaper here on Wednesday unwilling to be quoted.

Party in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has constituted a 3-member committee in each Lok Sabha constituency in the state to engage with the rebels in their respective areas to bring them back to the BJP fold, sources added.

Around 100 party leaders in the state have been charged with sabotaging the prospects of the official BJP candidate in the last assembly polls either by filing nomination against them or working against them in the polls.

Sixty four BJP leaders were expelled for anti-party activities on the eve of the last assembly elections.

Barring two rebels, former ministers Sartaj Singh and Ramkrushna Kusumaria who have joined Congress, all others were welcome back to the party provided they committed to back the official candidates of the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, sources added.

The homecoming of all these party rebels may take place within ten days, sources indicated.