Narayan Tripathi is a four-time MLA from Maihar (Satna).
A BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh has accused his own party of using the entire government machinery for its own benefit in the local body elections. The allegations are expected to come as a huge embarrassment to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government that came to power in 2020 after the Congress government led by Kamal Nath toppled following the exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia and his loyalists.
"I'm not against the BJP, but what is happening, actually pains me," said Narayan Tripathi, a four-time MLA from Maihar (Satna). I have been touring this area ( Maihar) which ever official from the rank of Patwari to the top all have been seen campaigning for a particular party. The officials are working to Garner votes for the BJP. I am a BJP MLA but I feel anguished and disturbed when I see such kind of occurences. In this country today a government can be brought down in 2 minutes this is happening in local body polls also. This should not happen.
Reacting to Mr Tripathi's allegations senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said, "there is someone in BJP who dared to speak the truth. Congratulations and thank you Narayan Tripathi ji, you have exposed the pain of thousands of contestants. Democracy has been throttled openly by the presiding officers."
Mr Tripathi is seen as the quintessential turncoat politician.
He won from Maihar in 2003 as a candidate of the Samajwadi Party, as the Congress candidate in 2013, as a BJP candidate in the 2016 by-polls and again on a BJP ticket in 2018.
He was among the two BJP MLAs who voted along with the MLAs of then ruling Congress on a bill in Vidhan Sabha in July 2019.
It remains to be seen on which party ticket Tripathi contests the 2023 assembly polls, BJP, Cong or some other party.