Dehradun: Miffed over not being given party tickets to contest in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttarakhand, legislators of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voiced their ire and cried foul over the issue. The BJP denied tickets to 10 party legislators for the upcoming polls, sparking a sharp outcry from the supporters of the irate leaders who claimed to have 'given it all' in strengthening their faction's image in their respective constituencies.
Among those denied tickets by the BJP are a state minister and several party loyalists. The move clearly aims at thwarting anti-incumbency sentiments prevailing among the voters in Uttarakhand by setting focus on the contesting legislator''s performance and image.
However, a regional political leader of Uttarakhand, Antariksh Saini, criticised the move and urged the BJP to provide opportunities to candidates from the backward classes in the elections. "The Bharatiya Janata party has not made up its mind to give adequate electoral representation to the backward classes. That is why BJP must give representation to the backward classes in the polls," Saini told mediapersons.
Expressing their ire, several spurned legislators brought in their supporters to protest outside the BJP''s state headquarters. The protesters shouted slogans against the party decision and urged to grant tickets to the legislators.
Despite receiving no response from the BJP, several legislators remained optimistic, hoping against hope of receiving tickets from the party. "I have strengthened the BJP''s position in Sahaspur as its legislator. The kind of progress witnessed in Sahaspur assembly has not been observed anywhere else in the entire state. Whenever legislators' performances have been examined in Dehradun, I have topped in all reports. I do not think that BJP and our leaders will do injustice to me," said Rajkumar, BJP legislator from Uttarakhand''s Sahaspur constituency.
The state's ruling BJP government has been marred by corruption charges that led to the eviction of Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as chief minister. His post was taken over by B.C. Khanduri, who had the unenviable task of cleaning BJP's image before the polls.
The polls to the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly would be held on January 30 while declarations of the results would commence on March 4.
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