Madhya Pradesh Civic Polls 2014: BJP shuns power monopoly over tickets distribution, Madhya Pradesh Civic Body Election, Civic poll 2014, Madhya Pradesh election updates
- Details
- Category: MP News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 21:08
Madhya Pradesh Civic Polls 2014: BJP shuns power monopoly over tickets distribution
BHOPAL: Change of power dynamics at Ashoka Road office of the BJP in New Delhi has created a scenario where it is no longer possible for just three leaders to decide the candidates list of an election in Madhya Pradesh.
Till the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the candidates list of the state BJP for any electoral battle depended on a meeting at CM House. It was known to every party worker that the final seal of approval rested on chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union minister and former state party chief Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP organisational secretary Arvind Menon.
Also Read: MP Civic poll Schedule 2014
With Amit Shah as national BJP president, the equation seems to have drastically changed - the reason why the ruling party is seeing hard tussle over mayoral tickets distribution for the approaching urban civic body elections. The last date for filing of nomination for the first phase of municipal elections is November 12. And yet, this is for the first time in 10 years that Congress has started distributing its B-form to candidates for the mayoral polls on Monday but the BJP was still undecided about the final selection of candidates.
State Congress vice-president Manak Agarwal told TOI that 60% of the candidates for the urban body polls have been finalized and the information is being conveyed to them in sealed envelops. The list of these candidates will be out by Tuesday by which time, all candidates for the first phase would have received their approval from the PCC office.
Though there is no denying that the state Congress is still fighting factional politics but the ruling-BJP on Monday was fighting a far more serious bitter-battle within the walls of the party headquarters. "The time has gone when you went to the New Delhi central leadership with complaints and leaders sent you back saying the top brass will not interfere in state-related matters. With change of leadership at New Delhi, workers complaints are being heard and monopoly of power in the state is being discouraged," a senior BJP leader said.
The sudden change of power balance is the main reason behind the ongoing tug-of-war over mayoral candidature. Meetings of the BJP's top state leaders including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nandkumar Singh Chouhan, national vice-president Prabhat Jha, some cabinet ministers and veteran leaders like Kailash Joshi, was held on Monday but failed to reach a final decision on the mayoral candidates.
The meeting saw bitter arguments over the mayoral candidates for Indore, Gwalior, Katni, Rewa, Satna. Indore being a seat reserved for OBC woman candidate, has five women in the fray including MLA from Indore-IV constituency Malini Gaur who the chief minister and Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan's candidate.
Four others in the fight for candidature are Sheela Nema (wife of former MLA Gopi Chand Nema), Puja Patidar (belonging to be MLA Ramesh Mandola's supporter), Laxmi Verma (kin of a former councillor Madhu Verma) and Neena Dagore (wife of a local BJP leader).
Candidature for Gwalior is proving equally messy where every leader including Narendra Singh Tomar, health minister Narottam Mishra, national vice-president Prabhat Jha and MLA from the seat Jaibhan Singh Pavaiyya have their own candidates.
src:timesofindia