First the induction of former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and then anointing her as BJP’s chief ministerial nominee, candidate selection by the party high command has not gone down well with a number of Delhi BJP leaders. Fuming supporters of Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay shouted slogans and defaced posters of Bedi protesting against ‘parachuting’ Delhi’s CM candidate. A host of other party leaders remained agitated as most of them complained for not only fielding outsiders but also denying tickets to those who lost by a thin margin in the 2013 Assembly polls.
Upadhyay had earlier indicated his willingness to fight the polls, but on Tuesday said that he voluntarily opted out to focus on campaigning in the entire city. Trying to pacify his agitated supporters at Delhi BJP’s office, Upadhyay said, “My task is to ensure win in all the 70 Assembly seats of Delhi. I am on Mission 70 mode and I myself opted out from contesting polls. I have to steer the entire state unit toward a comfortable majority which in itself is a huge responsibility.”
Four-time MlA from Rohini, Jai Bhagwan Aggarwal blocked roads and even threatened to join Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). His grudge is that the party top brass fielded former Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta from the seat who lost by a mammoth 26,000 votes during lok Sabha elections against Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi constituency. “How can the party field Gupta from Rohini when he had such a shameful defeat in the general electionsIJ I lost just by 1,872 votes to AAP’s Rajesh Garg, but have been denied a ticket,” Aggarwal said.
Fielding the AAP defector Vinod Kumar Binny from Patparganj led to massive protests by supporters of Nakul Bhardwaj. A youth leader, Bhardwaj was twice the BJP candidate from Patparganj. Another aspirant, Dheer Singh Bidhuri resigned after he was denied a ticket by the party from Okhla. Supporters of Shikha Rai, vice president of Delhi BJP too were protesting for not giving her a ticket from Kasturba Nagar.