Congress MLA Chintamani Maharaj, who has been denied a ticket for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls scheduled next month, on Sunday said he may consider joining the BJP if it fields him from the Ambikapur seat.
Maharaj also claimed that BJP is ready to give him a ticket in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Congress heavyweight and state deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo is in the fray from Ambikapur.
Senior BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal and the party's former state chief Vishnudeo Sai on Sunday attended a religious programme in the Kusmi area of Balrampur district organised by Chintamani Maharaj.
Maharaj currently represents the Samri seat in Balrampur district, where Congress has fielded Vijay Paikra, while Balrampur Zila Panchayat member Udeshwari Paikra is the BJP's nominee.
On the sidelines of the religious programme, Agrawal and Sai were seen holding a discussion with Maharaj.
Talking to reporters after the event, Maharaj said the BJP is ready to field him in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 but he has put a condition to contest the assembly elections from Ambikapur next month.
He said BJP leaders had come to attend the event during which a 31-foot idol of Goddess Kali was unveiled.
"They (BJP leaders) also said it would be good if I join them. I have put a condition that if they agree to field me from Ambikapur then I will consider (joining the BJP). However, they said those who are preparing from Ambikapur seat (from BJP) will get annoyed. They are ready to field me in Lok Sabha," Maharaj said.
Maharaj claimed that he told BJP leaders that he would vacate the Ambikapur segment after six months and contest Lok Sabha elections.
"Those (BJP leaders) who are now willing to contest can then be fielded from there (if bypoll is held). If they are ready to accept this condition then I will also consider (joining the BJP)," he said.
The BJP is yet to announce a candidate for the Ambikapur seat, currently represented by Congress stalwart and erstwhile royal TS Singh Deo. He has been re-nominated from this seat.
Polling to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Samri and Ambikapur are among the 70 seats which will vote in the second phase. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.
Maharaj is the son of the prominent social worker late Sant Rameshwar Gahira Guru who had considerable influence in north Chhattisgarh, particularly among tribals, for his works.
When asked about the discussion with Maharaj, Brijmohan Agrawal said, "What happened with Chintamani Maharaj ji was an injustice to him. He is sad (apparently after being denied a ticket) and we have come to share his pain".
Queried who will do justice, the BJP leader said since Maharaj is in Congress, it will do justice to him.
Agrawal parried reporters' query on "pre-conditions" set by Maharaj for joining the BJP.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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