Disappointed with ticket denial, Balaghat sitting BJP MP supporters picket BJP office for hours in MP

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declares it candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Madhya Pradesh, voices of dissent have been emerging within the party.

After the announcement of three more candidates on March 29, in which the party dropped two sitting MPs including Balaghat’s MP Bodh Singh Bhagat, a rift has emerged within the party between the workers and the leaders.

As a result, the supporters of the sitting BJP MP Bodh Singh Bhagat and the supporters of Dhal Singh Bisen, candidate from Balaghat parliamentary constituency clashed on Sunday and the police had to resort to lathi charge to control the situation.

Bhagat’s supporters laid siege to the local BJP officer between 11 am to 3 pm and locked it, said the police.

To control the situation, the police had to resort to a mild baton charge in which no one was injured, said Kotwali police station officer Mahendra Singh Thakur.

This irked Bhagat’s supporters who wanted the party to rethink its decision and give him another chance to contest, BJP functionaries said.

The situation was defused by the BJP MLA Gaurishankar Bisen who arrived there and got the office unlocked, they said.

Balaghat BJP president Ramesh Singh said he would submit a report to the party’s leadership on the incident. Meanwhile, some Bhagat supporters were heard saying they would quit the BJP if the situation was not rectified.

Shahdol sitting MP to contest as independent candidate, after denial

Beside, the sitting MP of Shahdol parliamentary constituency Gyan Singh has announced that he will contest as an independent candidate after the party denied him a ticket and gave the ticket to Himadri Singh instead from the seat. Himadri was given a ticket just two days after she joined the BJP.

“He was not told the reason behind denying ticket to him,” Singh said, people have aspirations from him and honouring the feelings of the people, he had decided to contest elections as an independent candidate.

Singh’s son is a BJP MLA from Bandhavgarh. Himadri had contested by-polls from Shahdol seat in 2016 from Congress against Singh and was defeated. Singh, after becoming MP, had left his ministerial berth too.  Singh, a strong tribal leader, had been an MLA from Bandhavgarh for eight terms. The ticket to Himadri has generated resentment in local BJP leaders too. With Singh coming out in the front, other leaders may also oppose Himadri’s candidature.