BJP leader Basant Agrawal who was expelled from the party for anti-party activities has announced to contest polls as an Independent candidate.
He had been opposing the Saja’s sitting MLA Labchand Bafna’s candidature who had been repeated as candidate for the upcoming polls.
Basant Agrawal had called a media briefing after his expulsion but called it off at the last moment the other day.
He said that he came to know about the expulsion from party through media and stated that he had not received any communication from the party headquarters.
Agrawal said that if media has flashed it, it would be correct and considering it, he would better fight election as Independent candidate.
He had raised the voice on selecting a local candidate instead of a person from outside the region.
Agrawal had raised similar objection in year 2013 also but the party did not give ear to it.
If the sequence of events are to be seen, then during the ‘Sawan’ months (Offerings to Lord Shiva during monsoon) pilgrimage starts, different political parties and leaders organize or cooperate in the event. Agrawal has been involved in it for more than a decade, thus creating an identity among most of the people in the region.
On September 6, during one such event, both the local MLA Labchand Bafna and Basant Agrawal had a spat over an issue, which became a hot topic of discussion. Ageawal had then raised the issue with state level party leaders. He did the same even after Labchand Bafna’s name was announced by staging demonstration before the Ekatma Parisar, BJP divisional headquarters in capital city, Raipur.
Agrawal said, “There is nothing wrong if the demand for selection of candidates from the Saja region is raised. No one should have objection to it. There is no crime but party had shown me the door. So I would prefer to contest polls as Independent candidate.”
Bemetara district president Rajendra Sharma said that State BJP’s decision is crucial and he would not comment on it.