Bhopal:Having its back against the wall in Chhattisgarh, especially after a thumping defeat in the assembly polls at the hands of Congress, the problems for the BJP seems to be compounding with every step ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Dissent had erupted in the state unit after the party’s Central Election Committee decided to drop all sitting MPs for Lok Sabha polls. The sitting MPs did not say much on record, but it was evident that the party’s decision had not gone down well, with several of them reaching New Delhi after the verdict.
The dissent only grew louder after the party, which announced candidates for five out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, walked the talk, dropping five names of sitting MPs as it announced candidature for five seats on late Thursday evening.
The choice of candidates seems to have irked not only the sitting MPs but also some party seniors. The BJP has named Baiduram Kashyap from Bastar, a stronghold of sitting MP Dinesh Kashyap and his family, Renuka Singh from Sarguja, Mohan Mandavi from Kanker, Guharam Ajgale from Janjgir Champa and Gomtee Sai from Raigarh.
Besides Sai, who is known to be a spired and grounded leader, the choice of candidates hasn’t gone down well with even independent observers. “While opting for Baiduram Kashyap, the BJP seems to have missed the trick in Bastar where incumbent MP Dinesh Kashyap’s family rules the roost,” a political observer from Raipur told News18.
The political analyst claimed that Gomtee Sai makes a formidable candidate from Raigarh due to her tenacity and connect with locals.
The usual dissent also started surfacing in tribal-dominated district after the announcement of candidates on Thursday.
Pradip Patley, son of Janjgir Champa MP Kamla Devi Patley, took to Facebook to express anger on the overlooking of his mother. “The burden of assembly poll debacle has been kept on 10 MPs but the man who was in charge of those polls was honoured with the responsibility of Lok Sabha elections,” wrote Patley in his FB post. He also questioned the party’s decision of fielding an outsider in Janjgir.
Auguring some tough time ahead for party nominee Mohan Mandavi at Kanker, former MLA Sumitra Markole has bought nomination form after Mandavi’s nomination was announced.
“Those who are carrying party’s flag are being ignored while ticket has been given to an outsider who did nothing for the party,” an agitated Markole told the media. She said she has decided to contest poll on the insistence of party workers and public.
Congress has already announced names of Khe Sai Singh from Sarguja, Dipak Baij –siting MLA from Chitrakot from Bastar, Laljeet Singh Rathiya from Raigarh and Biresh Thakur from Kanker.
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