Discontent continues in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State over ticket distribution and on Saturday the party received a jolt when a Minister from the primary membership of the party and State Cabinet as well as chairman of the Hoshangabad District Cooperative Bank resigned over denial of ticket.
Disgruntled party workers in large number staged protest outside the party’s State office here on Saturday. Sulking over denial of ticket, Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development Dev Singh Saiyam on Saturday tendered resignation from the primary membership of the BJP and State Cabinet as well.
Saiyam, who represents Scheduled Tribe reserved Mandla seat in the State’s Assembly, has sent his resignation to the district BJP president. He told reporters that he would consider contesting from other party’s ticket or as an Independent candidate if he was not granted ticket by the BJP.
Meanwhile, the party organisation swung into action following Saiyam’s resignation. Senior party tribal leader Faggan Singh Kulaste has been set on the task to mollify Saiyam, who was denied ticket due to anti-incumbency factor. In his place, the BJP has nominated Sampatia Uike.
Meanwhile, disgruntled over Forest Minister Sartaj Singh’s re-nomination from Hoshangabad’s Seoni Malwa seat, a large number of ruling BJP workers staged protest outside the party’s State office here on Saturday.
Party workers were led by ticket aspirant Yogendra Singh Mandloi who described the decision as against public sentiment. Mandloi told mediapersons over telephone that he has tendered his resignation from the party’s primary membership as well as the post of the chairman of the Hoshangabad District Cooperative Bank.
He claimed that most party workers had supported him instead of Singh during internal surveys and ‘raishumari’ (deliberations). Still, injustice was meted out to him denial of ticket.