BJP Denies Infighting Over Ticket Distribution in MP, Congress in Wait and Watch Mode

Bhopal: After months of speculation, the BJP and Congress are expected to announce the names of candidates for the assembly polls by the end of this month.

Ahead of the announcement, the ruling BJP seems to be facing an internal tussle with several sitting and former MLAs rushing to the party headquarters with their supporters.

On Wednesday too, senior MLA Sartaj Singh and Minister Surya Prakash Meena, apprehensive about ticket allotment, reached party office flanked by their supporters.

The BJP, has, however denied news of any discord.

“There is no ruckus on ticket issue anywhere in MP,” BJP state president Rakesh Singh said while speaking to reporters in Jabalpur on Wednesday. He added that the party has ‘completed’ formalities over ticket distribution.

Sources have said that the BJP election management committee would meet in Bhopal on October 29 and the names finalised by the committee would then be presented to the central election committee on October 30 for final approval.

The ruling party is likely to deny tickets to over 70 MLAs, including a dozen ministers, on performance basis to stave off anti-incumbency.

Basing its decision on internal surveys and RSS feedback, the party is said to be unwilling to give another chance to non-performing MLAs. It is of the view that chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s popularity could drive them home.

The Congress, on the other hand, is on the back foot after a series of loose statements from its leaders Digvijay Singh, ex-MLA Kalpana Parulekar and working president Jitu Patwari.

The Congress has reportedly finalized around 100 candidates but there is still ambiguity on the remaining seats where there are three or four potential candidates.

Congress is treading cautiously to avoid any infighting over ticket distribution.

The party could announce its first set of candidates after party president Rahul Gandhi completes his visit to Madhya Pradesh on October 30.

The party is expected to assign tickets to most of the sitting MLAs barring 10-12 of them. The state goes to assembly poll on November 28.