It’s ‘one family, one ticket’ as BJP fields kin of senior leaders in Madhya Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Faced with anti-incumbency and pressure from its leaders, BJP has done a tight-rope walk between changing sitting MLAs in its candidates’ list and accommodating the kin of those who have the potential to defeat the official nominee in case their wishes are not fulfilled.
Two such names figured in the third list of candidates for Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections released on Thursday, a day before the last date of nominations. The ego tussles between its top leaders in the state has led to the delay in declaration of names. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son Akash will be the BJP candidate from Indore-3 seat. His name was finalised after some bad blood within the party.

Vijayvargiya had issued a statement a day before the announcement that Akash will win from whichever seat he contests the election, thus throwing a virtual challenge to the party leadership. The candidature of Akash was held up as Lok Sabha speaker and Indore MP Sumitra Mahajan wanted her son Mandaar also to be fielded from one of the Indore seats but this was not acceptable to the party. Since she was away on an official visit to Argentina, senior party leaders met Mahajan when she returned on November 5 to discuss the issue. She has, however, denied that she ever wanted a ticket for her son.

Former chief minister Babulal Gaur’s daughter-in-law Krishna will contest from Govindpura seat. Gaur had quit the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet some years ago after he crossed the 75-year age cut-off.

Congress leader Prem Chandra Guddu, who has switched over to the BJP, is also said to be in talks for a ticket for his son Ajit.

In most cases where BJP has denied tickets to sitting MLAs, it has accommodated a kin of the outgoing legislator. Lakshminarayan Yadav’s son Sudhir Yadav has been fielded from Surkhi seat.

Similarly, sons of ministers Gauri Shankar Sejwal and Harsh Singh are in the fray in their place.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar reportedly wants his son Devendra to be fielded from one of the seats in Gwalior which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been asked by the central leadership to pander to the wishes of some of the leaders he is not on good terms as not doing so may cost the BJP these seats. Chouhan’s brother-in-law Sanjay Singh Mesani joined the Congress and has been given the ticket from Wara Seoni seat.

Mahajan has also taken a backseat as Vijayvargiya has managed to get the ticket to his followers in Indore. Similarly, some of the candidates in Tomar’s area are not from his camp though he has been entrusted with the task of ensuring BJP candidates in the region win their seats. Meanwhile, BJP leader Sartaj Singh joined Congress on Thursday as he was not fielded by his party. Congress has given him the ticket from Hoshangabad.