MP Assembly polls: Cong, BJP camps face protests over ticket distribution

BHOPAL: Supporters of poll aspirants from the BJP and Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh who failed to get tickets staged protests in different parts of the state on Sunday even as both parties tried to downplay the resentment.

The BJP has declared the candidates for 228 out of 230 seats so far while Congress declared the names of 229 nominees for the Assembly elections scheduled for November 17.

In Bhopal, supporters of former BJP MLA and ex-minister Umashankar Gupta raised slogans in front of state BJP president VD Sharma, demanding to replace the party candidate Bhagwandas Sabnani who is in the fray from the Bhopal South West constituency.

Several office-bearers of BJP from Bhopal wrote letters to the state unit chief demanding to field Umashankar Gupta. Former BJP MLA from Tikamgarh, KK Shrivastava, resigned from the membership of the party expressing displeasure over the ticket distribution in a letter addressed to the state BJP president.

In Gwalior, supporters of BJP leader Munnalal Goyal, a loyalist of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, protested outside the erstwhile royal’s Jai Vilas Palace after he (Goyal) was denied a ticket.

To mollify the protesters, Scindia drove to the palace gate and asserted that he stood by them and Goyal.

When asked about the protests, state BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi said sporadic demonstrations occurred due to momentary excitement.

“BJP workers toil for nationalist ideology and welfare of the poor, unlike Congress. Protests have been held in the Congress camp for the last five days,” he said.

Supporters of sitting Congress MLA from Badnagar, staged an aggressive protest in front of the Bhopal residence of MP Congress chief

Kamal Nath.