Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Who is Akshay Kanti Bam? Congress nominee who withdrew candidature days ahead of polling in Indore

In mounting trouble for Congress in Madhya Pradesh, its Indore candidate, Akshay Kanti Bam, on Monday withdrew his nomination from the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and joined the BJP, just a few days before the Indore constituency goes to polls in the fourth phase on May 13. 

Earlier in the day, MP cabinet minister and senior BJP leader, Kailash Vijayvargiya, took to social media platform X to announce the news. “Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam ji is welcomed in BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national president Shri J P Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state president V D Sharma.”

Who is Akshay Kanti Bam?

Born in the family of social workers and businessmen involved in running educational institutions, Bam did his schooling at Indore’s Daly College . He went to Sydenham college in Mumbai to complete his B.Com, following which he studied Law and public administration at Indore’s Devi Ahilya University. Bam has also earned a PhD in management from Rajasthan’s Sridhar University. 

Bam is also a leader of social group ‘Sanstha Keshariya’ which helps underprivileged students with scholarships, study materials and career advice. The organisation gives free food to struggling families in Indore and supports women by offering sewing classes.

In 2019, he was honoured with the icon of MP award by the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state. He is also involved in running local law and management colleges in Indore. 

Bam has been politically active for the last few years and was involved with Congress for the last 10 years. In the 2023 state assembly polls, Bam had staked a claim on Congress ticket from Indore-4 assembly seat. However, Congress did not give him a ticket for the state polls, and instead fielded the 45-year-old leader from the Indore Lok Sabha seat  where he was slated to challenge veteran BJP leader and sitting MP Shankar Lalwani, who won with one of the highest margins in the 2019 elections.

Cases against Bam

According to Bam’s affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, he has three cases pending against him. Two cases pertain to land disputes, while the third case against him involves an offense related to rash and negligent driving in 2018.

Sources within the Congress party said that Bam was given the ticket after a senior leader expressed reluctance to contest from Indore which is a citadel of BJP for decades. 

Other desertions

However, Bam is not the only leader who has deserted the grand old party ahead of Lok Sabha elections. In recent months, Congress has faced setbacks in Indore with its slew of key leaders including  Suresh Pachouri, Pankaj Sanghvi and Vishal Patel defecting to the BJP. Ex-Indore-1 MLA Sanjay Shukla, who is one of the richest leaders in Madhya Pradesh and was pitted against Kailash Vijayvargiya in the recently-concluded state assembly elections, also joined the saffron camp right ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. 

On April 5, the nomination form of Meera Yadav, the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Khajuraho, was rejected by the returning officer after which BJP candidate and state party chief V D Sharma got a virtually walkover in the Lok Sabha polls.