In a setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Pratap Singh announced on March 16 that he is resigning from the party's primary membership ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Madhya Pradesh MP submitted his resignation letter to BJP President J P Nadda and State President V D Sharma.
The Madhya Pradesh MP submitted his resignation letter to BJP president J P Nadda and state president V D Sharma. Singh used social media platform X to post his resignation letter.
The BJP nominated Singh to the Upper House of Parliament in March 2018.
His term as a Rajya Sabha member will end on April 2. He was not re-nominated by his party.
Singh expressed his displeasure with the party's process for selecting candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He stated that, while he wanted to run for the Sidhi Lok Sabha seat, the BJP fielded Rajesh Mishra instead.
Singh told the news agency PTI, "There is a difference in what the BJP says and what it does".
"The BJP has declared its candidate. I have no opposition to any candidate, but I object to and disagree with the party's selection system. I am unable to accept this. All of this is reflected in my resignation letter," he told PTI.
He further added, "I felt several things in the party during this time (15-20 years of BJP in Madhya Pradesh and 10 years at the Centre). I couldn't say these things at the party, but I can now. Corruption is widespread within the party. Corrupt individuals receive widespread protection. Politics has evolved into a commercial platform". Singh claimed that the party had become an 'adda' of political traders.
Ajay Pratap Singh also claimed that no development occurred in Sidhi despite promises.