Dissent within BJP over ticket distribution in Bundelkhand

BHOPAL: Fifteen days back,

BJP MP from Sagar Laxminarayan Yadav

had flagged the issue of outsider candidates in the party through a Facebook post that stated, “Parachute pratyashi ka karenge bahishkar, phir ek baarSagar ka chowkidar(We will boycott candidate from outside, once more it is going to be Sagar’s chowkidar).


Though Yadav withdrew the post, the resentment in BJP over outsider candidates is resonating across the four districts of Bundelkhand. BJP sources claim that all the three candidates from Tikamgarh, Damoh and Khajuraho are outsiders.

When Laxminarayan Yadav raised the issue of ‘parachute candidate’, he was referring to Jayant Malaiya whose name is being considered from Sagar constituency, party sources claimed. Though BJP is yet to finalise the name from Sagar seat, Yadav is trying hard for the ticket.

BJP sources said that ‘Bahari pratyashi’ has become a big issue in Bundelkhand, as local party leaders feel that they not being allowed to grow in the party. On Sunday, former MLA Raju Poddar resigned from the BJP in protest against the ticket to VD Sharma in Khajuraho, while former minister Kusum Mehdele and Sanjay Nagaich have reportedly conveyed their unhappiness to party chief Amit Shah. “There is strong resentment in the local BJP unit after VD Sharma was made the party candidate”, party sources claimed.

In the neighbouring Tikamgarh, almost all the former and present party MLAs have been opposing the candidature of Virendra Khatik, who hails from Sagar. He had even faced protests and party leaders had raised slogans like “Virendra Khatik Vapis Jao”. In fact, former MLA Prajapati even quit the BJP in protest and is now contesting on Samajwadi Party ticket against Khatik.

In Damoh, sitting MP Prahalad Patel is also facing the same problem. He belongs to Narsinghpur district but has been fielded from Damoh.