Madhya Pradesh: BJP names woman OBC leader Kavita Patidar for Rajya Sabha

BHOPAL: In an extension of ongoing tug-of-war between the ruling BJP and the Congress to muster the support of OBC sections of the society ahead of forthcoming panchayat and urban local bodies' election, the BJP announced the name of Kavita Patidar as its first candidate for election to the upper house of the parliament, Rajya Sabha.
Kavita Patidar, whose nomination to RS has surprised most observers, is general secretary of party state unit from Indore.She is the first woman OBC leader from the Malwa region to have been sent to the upper house after the OBC quota row erupted.
Kavita, when she was named as the BJP state unit general secretary was among the first woman candidate to have been named to the post of party general secretary. She is the daughter of BJP leader and former deputy speaker of MP Assembly, Bherulal Patidar.
Names of several big leaders of the party both from MP and outside were in circulation as probable candidates of the party. Given the numerical strength of the parties in MP assembly two of the three Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from the state will go to BJP. Now, the party has to an- nounce the name of one more candidate for the upper house of parliament. The Congress has already announced Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha's name as its candidate for the ensuing election.
BJP state media in-charge Lokendra Parashar took a dig at the Congress after the announcement of Kavita Patidar's name as party's Rajya Sabha candidate as he tweeted " Pharak Saaf Hai. . . . Unke Arun Yadav Takta Hi Rahe. Hamari Kavita Patidar Didi Rajya Sabha Ja Rahi hain". (The difference is clear. . . . Their Arun Yadav kept waiting and our Kavita Patidar Didi is going to Rajya Sabha. "
Of 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh, eight are with the BJP and three with Congress. The terms of Tankha, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, as well as that of BJP's MJ Akbar and Sampatiya Uike will end in June. The BJP's Rajya Sabha members from MP are Jyotiraditya Scindia, L Murugan, Dharmendra Pradhan, M J Akbar, Ajay Pratap Singh, Kailash Soni, Sumer Singh Solanki and Sampatiya Uike. The Congress' Rajya Sabha MPs from the state are Tankha, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh and Rajmani Patel.
The last date for filing nomination papers for RS is May 31, while scrutiny of papers will take place on June 1. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is June 3.