State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice President Sachchidanand Upasane who has been denied ticket this time round to contest Assembly polls from Raipur (North) said on Monday that atleast four political parties are currently in touch with him for offering hima ticket to contest polls.
‘There are four political parties which are in touch with me right now to offer a poll ticket. I have sought time with Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and central party leadership in New Delhi for reconsidering my name for a party ticket,’ a distraught Upasane told The Pioneer when contacted.
‘This is against party principles. I have worked very hard campaigning for the party in all the Raipur’s constituencies atleast four months before polls dates were announced. If party colleague Srichand Sundarani was to be offered a ticket from Raipur North, atleast an alternative seat should have been considered for me to contest polls,’ he said.
Upasane said that he harboured no reservations about party colleague Srichand Sundarani offered a ticket to woo Sindhi community votes but ‘an alternative seat should have been earmarked for me to contest poll’, he said.‘I am already in touch with the party’s central leadership and have not lost hope. The talks are already underway in New Delhi’, he said.
In the 2008 Assembly polls, Congress candidate Kuldeep Singh Juneja defeated Upasane by a margin of 1,436 votes from the Raipur (North) constituency.This time round, Upasane while confident of being given a ticket had started campaigning well in advance in Raipur city to prepare for the polls.