Ajit Jogi bags BJP MP, but loses minister

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister pulled off a major feat when he got Bharatiya Janata Party MP P R Khunte to join the Congress.

The BJP was furious and state unit president Dr Raman Singh told reporters that Khunte would face the same fate as that of the 13 BJP MLAs who Jogi had earlier lured to the Congress.

But Jogi faced a setback as Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Vidhan Mishra joined the Nationalist Congress Party. The NCP state unit is led by former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, who was earlier in the Congress.

Mishra, who has been denied a Congress ticket for the December 1 assembly elections, had earlier demanded President's rule in the State to ensure free and fair elections.

Mishra is a known supporter of Shukla and had been criticising Jogi for quite some time.