The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win more than half of the 34 seats in the Gwalior-Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh in the 2023 assembly polls, but several of those who had joined the party in 2020 along with Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia after revolting against the Congress bit the dust.
A revolt by 22 MLAs had led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March 2020.
They along with Scindia later joined the BJP, which came back to power at the time.
In the 2023 polls, results of which were declared on Sunday, the BJP won 18 out of 34 seats in the Gwalior Chambal region, considered a stronghold of Scindia, while the Congress had to be content with 16 wins.
Scindia had also addressed 85 rallies and road shows in the region, which was ruled by his family for several centuries.
Among the Congress-turned-BJP leaders who lost on Sunday were Imarti Devi from Dabra, Raghuraj Singh Kansana from Morena, Jajpal Singh Jaggi from Ashok Nagar, Rajvardhan Singh Prem Singh Dattigaon from Badnawar, state minister Suresh Dhakad Ranthkheda from Pohari, and Mahendra Sisodia from Bamori.
Those who won comprised Pradhuman Singh Tomar from Gwalior, Govind Singh Rajput from Surkhi, Dr Prabhuram Choudhary from Sanchi, Tulsiram Silawat from Sanwer besides Brijendra Singh Yadav from Mungaoli, Manoj Choudhary from Hatpipliya and Mohan Singh Rathore from Bhitarwar.
Of the 19 considered close to Scindia who had crossed over in 2020, the BJP denied tickets this time to six, including Jaswant Jatav, OPS Bhadoria, Girraj Dhanotiya and Munnalal Goyal.
It was a mixed bag for the remaining 13 as six of them lost.
In the 2018 polls, the Congress, with Scindia still a key leader of the grand old party, won 26 seats, while the BJP and Bahujan Samaj Party emerged victorious on seven and one seats, respectively.
In results declared on Sunday, the BJP retained power in MP by winning 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, while the Congress was left with 66 victories.
