The BJP campaign to get majority in the forthcoming lok Sabha election has hit a road block in Uttar Pradesh as it is facing resentment within the rank and files of party workers following ticket distribution with allegations galore that outsiders and the turncoats were being given preference over loyalists.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, who will be in lucknow on March 26, is likely to face the ire of the party workers as leaders across the state have decided to come to the state capital to have a discussion with Singh on this issue.
UP has 80 lok Sabha seats and the BJP is facing inner bickerings in at least 30 of such seats. Senior leader and former Assembly Speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi, who was a strong contender for a ticket from Allahabad, spoke out against the official nominee Shyama Charan Gupta. ''Gupta is not even a member of the BJP...I am shocked at his nomination...I do not know how he secured the ticket,'' a visibly hurt Tripathi said.
''My options are open...I will speak to my supporters and decide about the future course of action,'' he said. BJP workers are holding demonstration outside the party’s office in Gonda against the nomination of Kirti Vardhan Singh, who recently joined the party after resigning from the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Former Congress leader Jagadambika Pal, who joined the BJP last week, was also given a ticket from Domeriyaganj the same day despite strong local opposition. Other party hoppers, who have been nominated, included Brij Bhushan
Sharan Singh from Kaiserganj, SPS Singh Baghel from Ferozabad and Babulal from Fatehpur Sikri. In Bahraich the party workers have opposed candidature of Savitri Bai Phule who is BJP legislature from Balha in Bahraich.
Former state BJP chief Surya Pratap Shahi had also expressed his disappointment for not being fielded from Deoria from where another BJP big shot Kalraj Mishra has been given ticket. While Sahi has already registered his protest over Kalraj's candidature, former MP and another aspirant from this seat Prakash Mani Tripathi has written a letter to the party national president Rajnath Singh in this regard.
Tripathi has said that as he was denied ticket it would be difficult for him to remain in the party. He did not rule out resigning from the party.Kalraj Mishra, who si legislature from lucknow (east) has decided to take the opposition head on by trying to rope in his old supporters like former BJP youth president Ramashish Rai, former legislators from Deoria and Hata assembly constituencies respectively Ravindra Pratap Mall and Kuber Bhandari. They are likely to return to BJP, sources said.
Meanwhile, the state party leaders are downplaying the development claiming that all was well and Mishra will receive all support from the party.