Lok Sabha elections 2019: Chhindwara 'fixed', alleges BJP leader

BHOPAL: Dissent over tickets seems to be growing in BJP less than a month ahead of polls. In Gwalior, BJP workers have written to party chief Amit Shah against nominee Vivek Shejwalkar, and in

Chhindwara

, former BJP MLA Ramdas Uike has alleged “fixing” by his own party to “surrender the seat to Congress”.


In a clear sign that resentment is brewing in Gwalior-Chambal region, BJP’s young leader Awadhesh Tomar has written to Amit Shah that the party will pay a heavy cost for fielding against Shejwalkar. “The party has nominated the mayor of Gwalior without any survey and on the basis of RSS recommendation. There several other leaders who can challenge Congress in Gwalior. This decision will surely cost the party dear in the Lok Sabha polls,” read the letter.

Sources in BJP said Shejwalkar’s name was cleared by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat after the recent Pratinidhi Sabha held in Gwalior. The decision was taken amid lobbying by some senior leaders after sitting Gwalior MP Narendra Singh Tomar was moved to Morena.

Trouble is brewing for BJP in Chhindwara as well. “Surprised” by BJP’s decision to nominate former MLA Nathan Shah Kavreti from

Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat

against CM Kamal Nath’s son Nakul, former BJP MLA Ramdas Uike has alleged “fixing” by the party leadership.

“The party’s decision to field Nathan Shah against Congress heavyweight Nakul Nath has surprised many leaders in the party, indicating a ‘match fixing’ between the two parties. The BJP has literally surrendered the seat to Congress,” Uike said on Sunday. He met former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the morning.

Shah is an RSS leader and a former MLA. It’s believed BJP fielded him to try to cash in on the sizeable tribal votebase in a constituency that has been a Nath bastion for nearly four decades. Three of the seven assembly segments are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Uike, however, argues that there are other senior leaders who could have given a tougher fight to Congress in Chhindwara, but they were ignored.

BJP says there is no cause for concern. “There is no dissent among party workers or leaders in Chhindwara and Gwalior. The BJP election committee has announced names of candidates through fair process. Some people might differ initially but, later, everybody will join hands to defeat rival candidates,” said BJP state spokesperson, Deepak Vijayavargiya. On Saturday, BJP nominated 38-year-old Vivek Sahu aka Bunti to take on CM Kamal Nath for the Chhindwara assembly bypoll and Shah against Nakul for the Lok Sabha polls there.