Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday cancelled an election meeting in a Madhya Pradesh town after no local party leader came to receive her at the helipad.
According to a report published in Hindustan Times, Swaraj was slated to address a rally at Shivpuri in Guna parliamentary seat, where BJP nominee Jaibhan Singh Pavaiya is pitted against Congress candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia.
It was learnt that the veteran leader found nobody – neither Pavaiya nor the party workers at the helipad – to receive her. There was no party vehicle either to take her to the meeting venue.
She waited for them in a guest house nearby for about 10-15 minutes and then boarded a police jeep brought by the police personnel on duty.
After about 20 minutes, BJP district general secretary Omprakash Sharma, zila panchayat president Jitendra Jain and Nagar Palika president Risika Ashthana and some other party office-bearers reached the spot.
Witnesses said she pulled the party workers up for arriving late. The office-bearers, particularly the general secretary, apologised to her repeatedly, saying, "Didi, please forgive us. I touch your feet to seek your forgiveness."
However, Swaraj, who is also the party nominee from Vidisha seat in the state, did not relent and said their candidate (Pavaiya) was too arrogant.
She later flew to Ashok Nagar, which is also a part of Guna parliamentary, where Pavaiya was present to receive her.
She pulled up Pavaiya and said to him, "Tum bahut hawa me ud rahe ho."
"Mere saath Shivpuri me bahut bura hua," she told him.
Pavaiya is learnt to have explained that as per the schedule he was supposed to receive her at Ashok Nagar only.
Shivpuri BJP unit general secretary Omprakash Sharma said an issue related to permission from the district administration for the vehicle created confusion.
On Swaraj's annoyance, he said, "It's party's internal matter. She is our leader and has the authority to be angry with us."
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