Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh, the Congress party has initiated a wave of return for its leaders. Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) Mahamantri Malkeet Singh issued an order revoking the expulsion of MLA Vinay Jaiswal from Mahendragarh and reinstating his party membership. Similarly, the expulsion of Bilaspur Mayor Ramsharan Yadav and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Vice President Premchand Jaisi has been rescinded.
This move by the Congress aims to mitigate challenges ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party has begun reversing the expulsion of leaders based on their statements, both before and after the assembly elections, which were deemed anti-party.
Vinay Jaiswal, a Congress MLA from Mahendragarh, had his ticket revoked by the party for contesting in the 2023 assembly elections. Following this, he continuously criticized the top leadership of the Congress and accused the then state in-charge secretary, Chandan Yadav, of selling tickets. Additionally, he allegedly demanded Rs. 7 lakh, leading to his expulsion from the party for six years due to anti-party activities. Similarly, Bilaspur Mayor Ramsharan Yadav faced expulsion after an audio clip went viral, purportedly showing him discussing money transactions for Congress party tickets. Based on these grounds, the Congress party expelled him for six years. Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Premchand Jaisi was accused of working against the party's interests, leading to his expulsion for six years as well.
These reversals come as the Congress aims to break its previous record of winning two seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh. While these expelled leaders have not joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yet, the doors to the BJP remain open for all. With these reinstatements, the Congress hopes to gain an advantage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.