Bhopal, Nov 5: Days after the ruling BJP released its first list or candidates for the November 28 Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, it seems dissent is brewing in the party. According to a report in Jansatta, among those who are likely to protest the BJP's ticket-distribution scheme is former chief minister of the state, Babulal Gaur.
The 88-year-old Gaur recently made his stand known. Speaking to the Indian Express, Gaur said that both he and his daughter-in-law Krishna Gaur will contest as Independent candidates from two different seats of they are denied tickets to contest from Govindpura in Bhopal district.
Gaur has been winning from Govindpura continuously since 1980 and became the chief minister of MP in 2004 to remain in office till November 2005 to be replaced by the current CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Gaur, in fact, had contested his first election as an Independent.
According to the Jansatta report, clamour is growing within the BJP to not to give tickets to either Gaur or Krishna from Govindpura. There are mainly two reasons for this. One, Gaur's age. When the BJP is trying to ensure that the older generations give way to young faces, Gaur's exception could hit its credibility. Secondly, giving an electoral ticket to Gaur's daughter-in-law could be seen as an advertisement of dynastic politics, something against which the BJP has been vocal throughout.
It was also reported that the Opposition Congress tried to lure Gaur and also contacted the latter's house. Gaur, who claimed that state Congress chief Kamal Nath and other leaders contacted him, said that though he himself will not go to the Congress but he could not assure anything about his daughter-in-law, the report added.
Names like Alok Sharma, the mayor of Govindpura, and BJP general secretary BD Sharma are being floated as the BJP's probable candidate from the constituency. However, reports also said that the RSS suggested CM Chouhan himself to contest from the seat for it is among one the safest for the lotus party.
In 2013, Gaur defeated his nearest candidate Govind Goyal of the Congress in Govindpura by over 70,000 votes.