After Uma Bharti, Shivraj Singh Chouhan says no to Bhopal contest

BHOPAL: After

BJP leader Uma Bharti

, now former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared he will not contest from Bhopal, increasing the party’s dilemma in this prestigious seat where Congress has fielded

former CM Digvijaya Singh

. Sadhvi Pragya now looks likely to get the BJP ticket.

Mediapersons crowded around Chouhan after he emerged from the party state election committee meeting on Tuesday. Asked if he would fight from Bhopal, he said: “I am not contesting. The party will decide. Any party worker will contest the election in Bhopal.”

Sadhvi Pragya, who had volunteered to take on Digvijaya, may get her wish. BJP state coordinator for Lok Sabha polls Swatantra Dev Singh hinted as much, saying, “Whoever the party workers and people of Bhopal support, will contest the Lok Sabha seat.”

As if on cue, Sadhvi Pragya on Tuesday said fighting the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal against the Congress leader is like a “Dharm Yuddh”, and she would “avenge the anti-Hindu sentiments created by Digvijaya Singh by his ‘Hindu Atankvad’ charge”. “Digvijaya Singh is not a challenge at all. Not even for BJP. If I assume that I am getting the ticket to fight this election, there is no problem. The organisation is strong, those with Dharma (truth) on their side can confront Adharm. The party has withheld this seat for some reasons, but when there is public support, then the battle becomes easier,” she said.

The BJP is having a hard time not only deciding names for the five remaining seats — including Bhopal, Indore and Vidisha — but also in keeping a lid on dissidence. It faces open rebellion in as many as 10 of the 24 seats it has announced candidates for. At the state election committee meeting on Tuesday, leaders raised the concern that it would be difficult for candidates to reach out to voters unless the names were declared soon.

Swatantra Dev Singh, however, told reporters that the uncertainty has been “sorted out”. “We have finalized names for the five remaining seats and candidates could be declared in a day or two. The party has decided to field those who are known to workers and supported by the public. There is only one issue before the party worker — to bring Modi ji back to power in New Delhi,” Singh said.

Apart from Singh and Chouhan, BJP state in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, party state president Rakesh Singh, coordinator, Satish Upadhyay, Rajya Sabha member Prabhat Jha and organising general secretary Suhas Bhagat attended the meet and took up the matter of dissidents.

“There was unrest in only two-three constituencies. We will take action against those who contest against the party candidates or indulge in anti-party activities. In most areas, workers have contained dissidence and those who refuse to budge will face tough action,” said Singh.

Sources say that apart from Sadhvi Pragya from Bhopal, there is buzz over K P Yadav in Guna, Ramakant Bhargava in Vidisha and Rajbahadur Thakur in Sagar. Indore is still a blank. No one was willing to take a guess.