Denied ticket, Khaatis will not support BJP

INDORE: Enraged over alleged apathy of BJP for not giving

ticket

to a candidate of

Khaati

community from Indore

Lok Sabha

seat, the ‘traditional voters’ on Monday decided not to

support

the saffron party.

“Khaati community, which has 4.5 lakh voters in

Indore district

, has been supporting BJP. But, the party has ignored us in ticket distribution, first during assembly polls and now in

Lok Sabha elections

. We had strong candidates to contest from Rau, Depalpur and other constituencies of Indore district, but BJP ignored them and ultimately faced defeat from these areas,”

Khaati Samaj

vice-president

Kishore Choudhary

told TOI.

The community held four meetings in rural parts of the district. In the meeting around 90% of the participants decided to withdraw their support, he added.

“We are yet to decide whether to extend our support to Congress or press NOTA in the polls. If BJP fails to pay attention towards our demand to change its candidate from Indore parliamentary seat to a Khaati candidate or someone, who can raise issues concerning to farmers, we will intensify our protest,” Choudhary said.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Indore Shankar Lalwani reached BJP city office and held meeting with election management committee members to discuss poll strategies. He also met BJP leader Satyanarayan Sattan, who had openly protested distribution of ticket to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, at his house.

In the meeting, BJP women’s wing members decided to take maximum use of social media platforms for poll campaigning.