After brainstorming sessions for four days, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday issued first list of 147 candidates.
Besides, the decision on remaining 83 constituencies, where there was dispute among the leaders, have been deferred till Diwali. These seats include Bhopal’s Huzur and Madhya, and Vidisha that has been vacated after former Finance Minister Raghavji’s expulsion from the party.
In the first list, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would contest from the same Budhni constituency. The party has dropped tickets of 18 sitting legislators including two Ministers of Shivraj Cabinet. Besides, setting aside all the speculations, Industry Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has been fielded from his previous constituency Mhow.
In the first list, youth have been fielded on 24 seats while 18 tickets have been given to women. Besides, Scheduled Caste candidates have been fielded in 19 seats and Scheduled Tribe candidates in 30 constituencies. The party has preferred to field one Scheduled Tribe candidate on general seat.
After a long time, the BJP tried to woo the Muslim voters by fielding one Muslim candidate Arif Beig from Bhopal North. Besides, the party had denied tickets to State Ministers Devi Singh Sayyam and Ramdayal Ahirwar. Three Members of Parliament (MPs) Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Bhupendra Singh and KD Deshmukh have also been provided party ticket in the first list.
Reacting over the first list of the party, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Assembly election would be contested on development and the issues related to people’s welfare. The list of remaining candidates would soon be declared, he added. Since, powerful Minister of Shivraj Cabinet Vijayvargiya has been fielded from Mhow against his will, it is believed that Shivraj had a say in the ticket distribution. Similarly, another Minister Nagendra Singh, who had earlier declared publicly that he would not contest election and later approached seeking ticket, was denied and his relative was provided with party ticket.
Sources said Vijayvargiya wanted to change his constituency from Mhow to Indore- 3, but Chouhan was not ready to accept it arguing that only Vijayvargiya can wrest the Mhow seat, otherwise the BJP would loose it.
The first list also indicates that the high command has given free hand to the Chief Minister in decision of tickets. Similarly, by fielding a Muslim candidate from Bhopal, he has attempted to give a message that he believes in taking everybody along.