Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other BJP leaders at the BJP Central Election Committee meeting on Rajasthan elections, in New Delhi on October 20, 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Protests by disgruntled BJP leaders and their supporters over denial of party ticket for the Rajasthan Assembly polls erupted on October 23 in several districts of the State.
After the party released its second list of candidates last week, dissident leaders and their supporters protested in Rajsamand, Sriganganagar, Udaipur, and Bikaner. Similar protests were witnessed on Sunday too in districts such as Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Kota, Jaipur, Alwar, and Bundi, apart from Rajsamand.
On October 23, local leaders protested against BJP candidate Surendra Singh Rathore from Kumbhalgarh seat in Rajsamand district. Ticket claimants have given an ultimatum to the party’s high command to reconsider its decision and said that they will contest as independent candidates if their demand is not met.
“There is resentment among the party workers. Those who took the decision did not even know the situation on the ground,” former Zila Parishad member Nathulal Gurjar said.
Praveen Mewada, Sardargarh sarpanch of Rajsamand, said that it was better to give a ticket to an outsider.
“But, Surendra Singh should not have been given the ticket. People are not happy with him. We are holding a discussion with workers,” Mewada said.
In Sriganganagar, former BJP candidate Vinita Ahuja indicated that she would contest the elections as an independent candidate after the party gave its ticket to Jaideep Bihani.
Local leaders and supporters of Ahuja held a press conference to declare her as their leader in the upcoming Assembly polls. “The community has decided unanimously to field Vinita Ahuja as an independent candidate,” community leader Virendra Rajpal said in Sriganganagar.
In Udaipur, Deputy Mayor Paras Singhvi, who is demanding a BJP ticket from Udaipur City seat, took out a rally from the Town Hall on Monday. His supporters raised slogans “Tara Manzoor Nahi”, opposing BJP candidate Tarachand Jain.
“I am still with the party and urge the top leaders to reconsider the decision of Udaipur City,” Singhvi said.
In Bikaner East, former chairman of the Urban Development Trust, Mahavir Ranka, has held a meeting with his supporters and registered his protest against BJP candidate Siddhi Kumari.
On October 22, several protests were witnessed in parts of the State. Supporters of BJP dissidents allegedly damaged furniture in the party’s Rajsamand district office and burnt election campaign-related material on the road along with tyres to protest against the candidature of Deepti Maheshwari.
Similar protests were witnessed when the party released its first list of candidates.
There are a total of 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan, and till now BJP has fielded candidates for a total of 124 seats.
Assembly polls will be held in Rajasthan on November 25, while counting of votes will take place on December 3.
