Madhya Pradesh assembly election 2018: BJP's last ditch effort to assuage rebels

BHOPAL: On the last day of campaigning, the BJP leadership has decided to throw its full might to control the damage caused by the party rebels and attacks by the disgruntled leaders who have joined the rival political groups ahead of elections. The party has roped in more than 100 leaders from the BJP-ruled states who will intensify the poll campaign before polling day - November 28.

Alarmed by a negative feedback on loss of seats in some regions including Chambal and Vindhya, the party leadership has decided to communicate with and pacify the party rebels who have joined the fray against the official candidates, to withdraw to retain the saffron regime. Senior leaders who had gathered at the party's state office on Saturday and Sunday night to plan a strategy for the final bout, decided to take immediate step to contain the growing pessimism.

“A close-door meeting held by national vice-president Ramlal and attended by state in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Rajya Sabha member Dharmendra Pradhan and state organising general secretary Suhas Bhagat among others, discussed party's stand during the ongoing election campaign and decided to approach and pacify rebels to withdraw from the fray and support official candidate. They also decided to assign this duty to senior cadre”, said a senior BJP state functionary.

Sources said that party has assigned responsibility to Pradhan to contact and convince Ramkrishna Kusumariya in Damoh, Dheeraj Pateria in Jabalpur, Samiksha Gwalior in Gwalior, Sudama Singh in Shahdol and Brahmanand Ratnakar in Bhopal to withdraw their claim and support party candidate in the interest of saffron groups. A last attempt to convince the rebels will be made on Monday, said sources.

A meeting convened by the state media in-charge Sambit Patra on Sunday also discussed role of spokespersons and their strategy. Sources said that the party has asked the spokespersons to intensify their attack on the rival political groups.


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