Give me same seat or I contest as Independent, warns Babulal Gaur

“Both I and Krishnaji will contest as Independents from different seats if neither of us is fielded from Govindpura,” Gaur told The Indian Express. A 10-time MLA, Gaur had contested his first election as an Independent.

“Like bees get attracted to flowers, they are attracted to Govindpura,” Gaur said of party colleagues who have sought ticket from the constituency citing his age and opposing his daughter-in-law on the ground that her candidature will weaken the party’s stand on dynasty politics.

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Mayor Alok Sharma and party general secretary V D Sharma are among the main contenders for Govindpura.

The opposition Congress has not only tried to woo Gaur and his daughter-in-law on phone but also sent an emissary to their home.

“I am only asking from the BJP what’s my right,’’ the octogenarian said, claiming he got calls from PCC chief Kamal Nath and other leaders. He said he won’t join the opposition ranks but was not sure about his daughter-in-law.

Krishna Gaur, a former Bhopal mayor, said she would resign from the party and contest as an Independent.

The party offered her Bhopal (North), represented by the state’s only Muslim MLA Arif Aqueel — a Congressman — but like many BJP leaders she is not keen on contesting from the seat with sizeable minority population.

Former forest minister Sartaj Singh has also indicated that he may contest as Independent if denied ticket from Seoni Malwa in Hoshangabad district. He said there was no reason why his name did not figure in the first list of candidates when he had transformed the constituency into a BJP stronghold from a Congress citadel. Singh was dropped as minister two years ago amid talk that he had been shown the door due to his age. Party president Amit Shah later clarified that there was no age formula to deny someone ministerial berth or ticket.

Cabinet minister Kusum Mehdele, for whose Panna seat the party has not named anyone so far, met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior BJP leaders to argue her case again. When she did not get a favourable hearing, she walked out with a sullen face. “I am hopeful and waiting for the second list,” she said.

BJP MLA Vel Singh Bhuria, who was not nominated from Sardapur seat again, told reporters he went to the chief minister’s house to convince him to reconsider the decision to field an outsider. “If the candidate is not changed, the CM will have to come to my house,” he warned.

The BJP has denied tickets to more than 30 MLAs leading to protests in several constituencies or at the party headquarters in Bhopal. Supporters of Baisahad Yadav, who won in a by-election, created a ruckus at the party office in protest on Saturday.