Ex-Congress MLA Brij Bihari Pateriya joins BJP

Bhopal, Dec 24 (IANS) Brij Bihari Pateriya, a former Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, joined the BJP on Saturday.

Pateriya, is considered a strong leader in Sagar district, joined the saffron party in Bhopal in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Political turmoil in Sagar has escalated after Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh held a meeting with district leaders and workers last week.

Sources told IANS that Pateriya was sidelined and he was planing to contest the 2023 Assembly elections on a Congress ticket.

However, there was minimal chances of his candidature, they added.

Reacting to Saturday's development, the state's Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh said: "We welcome Brij Bihari Pateriya and believe that his long political will be a crucial for the party."