MP bypolls: Rift within BJP ranks comes out in open over Budhni nominee

Bhopal, Oct 23 (IANS) Even as the Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the BJP's central leadership has fielded a strong candidate for bypolls in his home turf Budhni, however, the local BJP workers showed their resentment against Ramakant Bhargava’s candidature.

The rift within the local BJP workers came to the fore during former MLA Rajendra Singh’s meeting when supporters confronted him saying they would opt for NOTA instead of supporting Ramakant Bhargava in the by-elections, which will be held on November 13.

When former MLA Rajendra Singh was addressing the party workers for the upcoming bypolls in Budhni. In the meantime, his supporters demanded that he (Singh) be fielded from the Assembly seat instead of former MP Ramakant Bhargava.

A video of the dramatic incident went viral on social media. The BJP workers were heard saying that if the candidate (Bhargava) is not replaced with Rajendra Singh, they will be forced to opt for the NOTA.

Rajendra Singh tried to calm down his supporters, saying the central leadership would be told about the party workers’ concerns. He also expressed his disappointment, saying the sentiments of local party workers were ignored by the central leadership.

However, Singh said he wasn't up for the Budhni ticket race. “We all had finalised Kartikey Chouhan's name as his father has served the constituency for several decades. However, due to being a family member, he wasn't given the ticket,” he said.

The bypolls for the Budhni seat was necessitated due to the resignation of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after being elected from the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat.

Chouhan, now the Union Agriculture Minister, represented Budhni for five consecutive terms from 2006.

Ramakant Bhargava is considered close to Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Budhni Assembly segment is part of the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency. Bhargava, a resident of Shahganj in the Budhni Assembly segment, represented the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat between 2019 and 2024.

Rajendra Singh was elected as MLA from the Budhni seat of Sehore district in 2003, but he resigned in 2005 to pave the way for the then Chief Minister Chouhan's entry into the state Assembly. Chouhan was an MP from the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat at that time.

--IANS

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