Madhya Pradesh: BJP leaders squabble over Lok Sabha tickets

BHOPAL: Ahead of ticket distribution for

Lok Sabha elections

, the state BJP is battling dissent in its ranks on a scale that appears much bigger than the Congress. Some BJP leaders who have staked their claim for tickets from high profile seats are now facing problems within the party.

On Tuesday, Ravish Chouhan, former state general secretary of

BJP Kisan Morcha

and a relative of former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, opposed the name of Sadhna Singh, wife of Shivraj Singh, from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat. Ravish said he would fight the election as an independent candidate if the party decides to field Sadhna from Vidisha. "I have requested the party for ticket from Vidisha seat if Shivraj Singh is not ready to contest from the constituency. If party decides to field Sadhna, I will contest from the seat as an independent candidate. If Sadhna Bhabhi is such a strong candidate then party must field her from some tough seat", said Ravish on Tuesday.

The farmer leader said that he is keen to contest from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat, and would oppose the candidature of everybody, except Shivraj Singh, from the constituency. “Sadhna Singh should instead contest from Chhindwara or Guna”, he said.

Recently, four district presidents of Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency had demanded the party's state leadership to field Sadhna Singh from Vidisha seat, but mandal president of Ganjbasoda tehsil Rajesh Sharma, who is also a member of Brahmin Vikas Parishad, did not support the name of Sadhna Singh. This resulted into a tiff within the organisation and Sharma was expelled from the mandal. Sources in BJP disclosed that Brahmins constitute a sizeable number of voters in the constituency after Kirar and Muslims.

In Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency, BJP workers joined hands against sitting MP Rodmal Nagar on Tuesday and held demonstrations at the BJP state head office. The disgruntled workers also met Shivraj Singh Couhan and urged him to replace the sitting MP from Rajgarh. "Rodmal Nagar has done nothing during the last five years in the constituency which resulted in a major setback to the party as it lost five assembly seats of the total eight in Rajgarh Lok Sabha area. If the party decides to field Nagar again, we would not take responsibility for the party's debacle in the election", said a BJP worker.

A similar discontentment was also witnessed in Tikamgarh Lok Sabha seat where seven BJP leaders have opposed the sitting MP and Union minister Virendra Kumar from the seat. In Khandwa, supporters of former cabinet minister Archana Chitnis has also demanded Lok Sabha ticket for their leader. The BJP is mulling to filed sitting MP Nandkumar Singh Chauhan from the seat again.

REgarding differences in the party, Union minister and state election committee convener Narendra Singh Tomar said there are a few complaints, but all are not reasonable. “The party leadership will finalise the names of candidates after thorough discussions, surveys and feedback”, he said.