Bhopal: Disgruntled Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs have taken to streets over denial of ticket for Madhya Pradesh's assembly elections. Names of nearly 27 legislators did not appear in the party's first list of candidates, leading them to protest. Among them was Sardarpur sitting MLA, Dhar Vel Singh Bhuria, who marched to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence on Saturday with hundreds of supporters.
“It’s all right if I have been denied a ticket, but we are Bhils and the party has given ticket to Sanjay Baghel from the Bhilala caste, who is an outsider,” Bhuria, who is known for his controversial remarks, said.
The visibly disappointed MLA was quick to mention his sacrifices for the party and how he had “braved bullets, lathis and forged cases” for 26 years in Congress bastion Saradarpur, and had brought BJP on the winning path in 2013.
Bhuria was later summoned inside the CM House for consultations. Minister Kusum Mahdele was also reported to be present.
Supporters of Babulal Gaur too, created ruckus in Bhopal over seeking ticket for his daughter- in- law Krishna Gaur. The party ticket for Govindpura constituency, which represented by Gaur, has been kept on hold. The supporters threatened mass resignation if their demands weren’t met.
An upset sitting MLA Ratlam Rural Mathuralal Damar accused Dilip Makwana of buying ticket for Rs 1.5 crore in a verbal spat that was caught on camera. Makwana reached Damar’s residence to seek support after his name was finalised.
Besides, Gopal Kanoje, who has been given ticket from Dharampuri in Dhar, is also termed an “outsider”.
Similar voices of dissent was raised in CM Chouhan's hometown Sehore where the party opted for Sudesh Rai, and independent who defeated BJP in 2013.
Besides, Energy minister Paras Jain is also facing stiff opposition in Ujjain, after the party’s decision to re-nominate him. Jain is said to have lost favours among the party workers, and is known to be at odds with party senior leaders, including Ujjain Development Authority chairman Mohan Yadav, Sonu Gehlot and MP Chintamani Malviya. Jain has also been accused of only working for a “selected group of people” in the city.
The situation continues to remain tense in Narsinghpur, days after sitting BJP MLA Sanjay Sharma joined Congress. In an act of solidarity, hundreds of his supporters too, deserted the BJP in the constituencies of Narsinghpur and Tendukhera.
In Ghattiya the party had nominated an outsider Ashok Malviya from Nagda , for which it had to face extreme backlash. Soon after, party backtracked on his nomination on Friday evening, saying his name “mistakenly” found place in the list of candidates. The party is expected to field Premchand Guddu or his son Ajit from Ghattiya. The two switched from Congress to BJP on Friday.
In Shahdol region, besides Manpur and Bandhavgarh seats, voices of dissent have surfaced soon after ticket distribution. Among these candidates Sharad Kol is dubbed as an outsider in Beohari.
The selection of Manisha Singh from Jaitpur is being opposed on the grounds that she is the daughter- in -law of a Congress leader; and Narendra Marawi is also being termed an outsider in Pushprajgarh seat.
At Jaitpur, sitting MLA and former minister Jai Singh Marawi, who is popular in the area has been denied ticket.
BJP leaders are also opposing the nomination of Rajendra Pandey from Jaora, with one of the leaders announcing to contest polls as an independent. Shyam Singh Meena who is the husband of BJP corporator Manphool Meena and was up in arms against BJP Huzur MLA over developmental issues, has decided to file nomination as an independent candidate.
Anger is also brewing within the party over the denial of ticket to senior leaders, including Babulal Gaur, Sartaj Singh and Kusum Mahdele.
“There must a reason for ticket denial as the party collectively decides these matters,” former CM Kailash Joshi told News18. When asked whether the tickets of his former colleagues are kept on hold, he said, “Even if I say something is wrong, nothing would change.”
The BJP has convened an emergency meeting in Bhopal for quelling the dissent post ticket distribution.
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