In a surprising turn of events, Madhya Pradesh's political landscape witnessed a significant shift as Akshya Kanti Bam, the Congress candidate for the Indore parliamentary seat, withdrew his nomination and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Madhya Pradesh gears up for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections with 80 candidates vying for victory, including four women and a third-gender candidate.

The challenge comes in response to former minister Narottam Mishra's assertion on Saturday, stating that over 2.58 lakh individuals, with 1.26 lakh joining on April 6 alone, have switched allegiance to the BJP in the state over the past three months, with the majority originating from the Congress.