In a jolt to the Congress ahead of lok Sabha polls, retired IAS officer Bhagirath Prasad, who was fielded by the party as its candidate from Bhind seat in Madhya Pradesh, joined the BJP on Sunday.
Prasad, who was announced as the Congress candidate on Saturday, had unsuccessfully contested the last lok Sabha elections on the party ticket from the same seat. This time also Congress relied on him and nominated him from the same seat, but he switched over to the BJP. AICC sources said that a new candidate will be announced after due consultation with the State unit of the party and CEC shortly.