MP: Senior BJP leaders to hit poll campaign from November 15

BHOPAL: The state BJP is likely to take disciplinary action against party dissidents who did not withdraw their candidature on the last day of withdrawing names from the fray. Among these included former minister and BJP's star campaigner Ramkrishna Kusumariya, former MLA Brahmanand Ratnakar and former mayor of Gwalior Samiksha Gupta. The party is likely to expel the leaders soon.

On Wednesday morning, BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha flew to Damoh from Rewa to meet Kusumariya to pacify him withdraw from the election. He tried to meet the veteran leader for almost two hours but, Kusumariya refused to meet Jha.

"I am doing organisational work. I tried my best to meet Babbaji as Kusumariya is fondly called) but, he is not ready to talk", Jha told reporters after the visit though, Kusumariya did not speak to even reporters.

Kusumariya, chairperson of Bundelkhan Vikas Pradhikaran and a heavyweight in the area for the last five decades, filed nominations from two constituencies, Damoh and Patharia, after the party dropped his name from the official list. In Damoh, he will affect the BJP vote bank where from finance minister Jayant Malaiya is the official candidate.

In Patharia, the party has fielded sitting MLA Lakhan Patel who is also facing a tough situation against his Congress rival. During previous election, BJP had won both the assembly seats by a thin margin of less than 8,000 votes.

The party is also likely to take action against former MLA from Berasia (Bhopal district) Brahmanand Ratnakar, who remained untraceable throughout the day and did not withdraw from the fray. In Gwalior South, former mayor Samiksha Gupta also refused to withdraw. She said she has resigned from the party and would contest as an Independent candidate.

Those who had quit the BJP to join the new party will also be officially served notice by the BJP as a part of disciplinary action. Former union minister Sartaj Singh, husband of BJP corporator Manphool, Shyam Singh Meena and senior leader Padma Shukla as all the three joined Congress. Besides, district panchayat head of Chandla, Amitya Singh who joined Samajwadi Party, will also be slapped notice.

Meanwhile during the day, party leaders successfully convinced rebel leaders to withdraw from the fray. As a result, former MLA Jitendra Daga from Huzur, former finance minister Raghavji Bhai from Vidisha, Ravindra Awasthi from Bhopal North, Ramdayal Ahirwar from Chandla and Ramnath Yadav from Bada Malhera.

On action against dissidents, party state in-charge and national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that the party will decide the next action plan. He however, claimed that after withdrawal of names the party would unite to contest and win the elections fourth time in the state.

Replying to a question, Sahasrabuddhe said that after nomination process, senior leaders and star campaigners from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states besides, union leaders will campaign for the contestants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hit the poll campaign from November 16 while, BJP president Amit Shah is reaching Indore district on Thursday to begin his poll meetings, he said.