Parivaarwad runs thicker in BJP, stalwarts clamour for tickets for kin

BHOPAL: A meeting convened at the BJP HQ in Bhopal on Friday to discuss poll strategy descended into a clamour for tickets for kith and kin of party stalwarts.


The BJP, which keeps accusing other parties of ‘parivaarwad’, seems to have fallen prey to the same malady. So desperate is the struggle to keep the dynasty rolling in politics that Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava said, “Will the son of a politician become a beggar?”

Sources told TOI that the list of those who are seeking tickets for family members include A-listers in the state BJP — including former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whose wife Sadhna Singh is said to be keen to contest from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar has pitched in for his elder son Devendra, and national vice-president Prabhat Jha is trying to indict son Tushmul in active politics. Former minister

Narottam Mishra

, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, is trying for his son Sukarn, who is a member of BJP youth wing, say sources. Former state finance minister Jayant Malaiya's son Siddharth has already entered active politics from Sagar region.

Dynasty politics had turned out to be one of the stumbling blocks for BJP in the 2018 assembly polls. The clamour for tickets for kin triggered turmoil it could have done without in the run-up to the hotly contested election, which it eventually lost. At least five who got parivaar tickets were defeated.

With more than prestige at stake for the Lok Sabha polls, parivaarwad was expected to take the back seat. But as Friday’s meeting showed, it’s only got more intense. Leader after leader justified demanding tickets for their sons and daughters, say sources.

Bhargava said, “My son Abhishek is assisting me for the last 14 years. He works as general secretary in the state youth wing and has the right to demand a ticket for himself.” After a pause, he added: “But, I believe one should not be denied or given a ticket just because he happens to be the ward of a politician. If he is eligible he must be given the ticket. But it’s up to the party, and whatever decision will be accepted.”

But he didn’t give up trying to justify why his son should get the Sagar ticket: “When a son of an officer joins the services, son of a trader starts his business, son of a farmer does farming then, what should the son of a politician do after spending 20 years in social service? Become a beggar?”

Joining the chorus, former minister and MLA from Balaghat, Gaurishankar Bisen, said that the party had chosen his daughter Mausam among the probables for Balaghat Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 polls. However, the party decided to field Bodhsingh Bhagat. “The leadership decides who will contest. Mausam is an engineer and topper from Nagpur University. She is also a topper from Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya. She has staked her claim for the ticket. The party will decide and it will be accepted,” Bisen told reporters at the party office.

Among those who already have their children in politics are BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya, who vacated his seat for son Aakash in Indore in 2018. Aakash was elected from Indore-3 and Vijayavargiya Senior himself is said to be in the fray for the Indore Lok Sabha ticket. Vikram Singh, son of former minister Harsh Singh, won the Rampur Baghelan seat. And former chief minister Babulal Gaur’s bahu Krishna Gaur won Govindpura after a battle of nerves to keep the ticket within the family. Rajesh Prajapati, son of former MLA R D Prajapati, is an MLA from

Chandla

.