A prestige of the self proclaimed party with difference, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at stake in the election bound Madhya Pradesh over the issue of ticket distribution.
After allegations of discrimination and dynasty politics on influential leaders of the party, the cadres of the party are now levelling serious charges of money exchanging hands in ticket distribution. On Monday, party cadres from at-least three assembly constituencies trade charges of bribery in ticket distribution against senior party leaders.
Unruly scenes have become a routine in the party State headquarters and condition is becoming from bad to worst with each passing day.The saffron party that off and on preached others for purity in politics and proclaimed that it adhered to ethics and principles was facing serious allegations of corruption by none other than its own cadres.
The cadres and office bearers from two Assembly constituencies - Seoni, Surkhi and Nariyali spread sensation in the State party headquarters by levelling charges of bribery against senior party leaders. The office bearers of the party from Nariyali Assembly constituency levelled allegations against State organisational general secretary Arvind Menon for demanding Rs 1.5 crore for the ticket. While the party workers from Seoni levelled allegations against the Seoni District BJP president for demanding money from the ticket aspirants. Similar were the charges levelled by the party workers of the Surkhi Assembly constituency who alleged that the senior leaders are demanding money for giving ticket.
The dissidents that have crossed the discipline guidelines long back by holding demonstrations, burning effigies and distributing pamphlets of rivals within party have crossed all limits of decency and are now started sit-in demonstration at the party State headquarters. A former municipal councillor from the State capital demanding ticket from Bhopal North Assembly constituency started sit-in demonstration at the party’s State headquarters.
The party leadership has till now not only failed to control the discontent of the workers but has fuelled it by either threatening them of party action or police complaints against dissident workers terming them as opposition party workers. This has reportedly hurt many workers associated with the party since long and in return they are threatening to work against the official party candidates in their respective constituencies.
Political observers in the State are of the view that if the BJP failed to set its house in order at the earliest than its dream of coming to power for the third consecutive term could be shattered.