Indore imitates Surat? Congress candidate withdraws nomination, BJP extends invite

• Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam withdraws nomination from the Indore constituency
• Joins BJP soon after withdrawing nomination
• Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya shares a picture with Bam welcoming him in BJP

Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam has withdrawn his nomination from the Indore constituency ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, dealing another blow to the party's electoral prospects. The Congress had nominated Bam to contest against sitting BJP MP Shankar Lalwani in the Indore Lok Sabha seat, scheduled for polling on May 13 in the fourth phase.

Following Bam's withdrawal, senior BJP leader and MLA from Indore, Kailash Vijayvargiya, extended a warm welcome for him to join the BJP. “We welcome Shri Akshay Kanti Bam ji, Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore in BJP, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, National President JP Nadda and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State President VD Sharma, ” he wrote on X along with sharing a picture featuring himself and Bam in a car. 

Earlier this month, Congress' Surat candidate Nilesh Kumbhani dropped out of the poll race as his candidature was rejected after the district returning officer prima facie found discrepancies in the signature of the proposers. The party’s substitute candidate for the seat, Suresh Padsala, also had his nomination form rejected.