More than a dozen senior BJP leaders, who had gone there to search candidates, had to face the ire of people in their own constituency. The ticket claimants registered their protest against the observers.
The BJP had appointed ministers and senior office-bearers as observers and sent them to assembly constituencies.
Most of them were ticket claimants and their tickets were also considered to be final. But in their absence, local leaders vehemently opposed their candidature.
Deputy speaker of Assembly Narayan Chandel, along with Rajya Sabha member Nandkumar Sai, has been sent as observer to consider the names of candidates of Raipur parliamentary seats. But his candidature was opposed
at his own constituency
Janjgir-Champa.
Some party workers in Janjgir-Champa told the observers that it would be difficult for the party to win the seat, if Chandel was given the ticket. Similarly, agriculture minister Chandrashekhar Sahu and general secretary Shivratan Sharma had gone to search candidates for Bilaspur seats. But they were opposed before the observers at Raipur.
The party office-bearers demanded to make Ashok Bajaj and Balram Tiwari in place of Sahu. They said that in the last election, the agriculture minister won the seat with slender margin, but it would be difficult for the party to win the seat, if he were fielded from Abhanpur.
Party workers even shouted slogans against general secretary Shivratan Sharma. Sharma had been defeated in Bhatapara seat twice. Some local office-bearers appealed not to give him ticket for the third time and demanded to field Murari Mishra in his place.
The claimant of Raipur North seat, Sachhidanand Upasane has gone to Surguja as observer, but his candidature was opposed at Raipur. The workers proposed the names of their own candidates in his place. Some of them said he was an outsider.
Revenue minister Dayaldas Baghel has been the observer of Kanker, on the other, his opponents, in front of the observers at Durg, demanded not to give him ticket from Navagarh for a second time. Hemchand Yadav, who is observer in Bastar, has been opposed in Durg city.
The candidature of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president Anurag Singhdeo, who is observed in Janjgir-Champa, has been opposed at Ambikapur. large number local party workers demanded to field Akhilesh Soni or Anil Singh Major in place Singhdeo.
Protest was also raised against many big leaders. The adversaries of forest minister Vikram Usendi, who is claimant of Antagarh seat, had started fist fighting in front of observers. Subhau Kashyap was also opposed in Bastar.
The supporters of these leaders said that as they have gone outside, their adversaries have become stronger in their absence. The supporters could not advocate for them with the observers. In spite of all, the leaders are optimistic of their ticket.