This story is from June 5, 2020

Madhya Pradesh CM meets home minister Narottam Mishra over breakfast, discuss bypolls

Notwithstanding the rumblings over cabinet expansion and by-poll on 24 seats in Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took everybody by surprise when he reached the official residence of his cabinet colleague and home minister, Narottam Mishra, to discuss the issue senior leader Balendu Shukla's quitting the party. Chouhan though, clarified that this was a casual meeting over breakfast.
Madhya Pradesh CM meets home minister Narottam Mishra over breakfast, discuss bypolls
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with home minister Narottam Mishra
BHOPAL: Notwithstanding the rumblings over cabinet expansion and by-poll on 24 seats in Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took everybody by surprise when he reached the official residence of his cabinet colleague and home minister, Narottam Mishra, to discuss the issue senior leader Balendu Shukla's quitting the party. Chouhan though, clarified that this was a casual meeting over breakfast.

Chouhan reached Mishra's house at Char Imli area in the morning without any official alert and held a close-door meeting for almost half-an-hour. Sources said the two leaders discussed strategy to thwart Congress' plans to lure BJP leaders and effect of senior leader from Gwalior, Balendu Shukla's quitting the party in the Gwalior-Chambal region. Shukla resigned as BJP member later, in the afternoon.
Chouhan though, dubbed the meeting as a casual breakfast meet. "I am chief minister and he is home minister. We had worked together since the era of Yuva Morcha (youth front) in the party. Narottam had been requesting a breakfast meeting at his residence, so I decided to join. This breakfast meeting was long awaited otherwise we meet everyday in the office," Chouhan told reporters on the get-together.
Replying to the Congress allegations on damage to the wheat and gram crops lying in open during rains, the chief minister said that 94 percent crops have been dumped inside warehouses. "The Congress could not control Covid-19 in the state. It also failed to provide jute bags ahead of procurement of Rabi crops. Still, we have procured a record 126 metric tonne of wheat during the season. A small portion which was to be procured was affected in the rains but, farmers need not to worry about their crop. I am here for them," said Chouhan
Meanwhile, sources in BJP disclosed that the two leaders discussed impact of Balendu Shukla quitting the party on 24 seats where by-polls are scheduled to be held soon. Shukla, who was feeling uneasy since Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the saffron party in March, decided to return to Congress. The former Congress minister holds sway on a few seats in Gwalior region including, Gwalior and Gwalior South, from where he had contested elections in 2003 and 2008 but, could not succeed.
The meeting between Chouhan and Mishra also holds significance in view of the by-polls on 16 seats of Gwalior-Chambal region. Sources further disclosed that the two leaders also discussed party position on the 16 seats where Congress is likely to bait BJP dissidents during elections. Mishra being a prominent name in the region, will lead the party to contain the dissidents and influence voters ahead of the polls, added sources.
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