Sitting BJP MPs may not get ticket
| Date :20-Mar-2019 |
Staff Reporter RAIPUR,
The announcement of candidates by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 11 Lok Sabha constituencies of Chhattisgarh is eagerly awaited. The party sources claimed that the BJP may drop some sitting Lok Sabha members and may give ticket to new faces. It was expected that the announcement of names for the first and second phase would come by Tuesday evening but there seems to be some hiccups in the announcement. The senior party leaders, including the former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, are camping up in Delhi for the finalisation of names. BJP State Election Committee had sent the names of around 60 possible candidates to the BJP Central Election Committee.
The sources claimed that the BJP leadership is yet to reach on a conclusion and initial deliberations of the candidates for 11 Lok Sabha seats have been completed and there is a clear picture about the candidature in the Central Election Committee. The Central Election Committee again met on Tuesday evening and by late night it was widely expected that the party may come out with some of the names for Chhattisgarh. Even new BJP State Unit President and Kanker Lok Sabha Member Vikram Usendi, who lost Antagarh assembly election-2018, is facing stiff opposition from within the party for the Lok Sabha tickets this time. The BJP had won 10 Lok Sabha seats out of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh in the last parliamentary elections when the BJP was in power in the State. However the BJP is now out of power in the state it miserably lost seats and vote share.
The party could win only 15 assembly seats in the 90 seat state assembly. Meanwhile in a latest development Chhattisgarh BJP in-charge and National General Secretary Anil Jain has given a statement that BJP will change all 11 sitting MPs in this election, He is learnt to have put this proposal to the Central Election Committee and the CEC is learnt to have approved it. Going by this the BJP will change all its sitting MLA’s to ensure that the party gets a resounding victory in the election. Sources claimed that the CEC is very particular that the debacle of the state assembly election is not repeated in the Lok Sabha election. The party is counting each seat very precious for the second term of the Modi government in centre and cannot afford to take any slacking decision. Meanwhile, the Congress declared its candidates for five Lok Sabha constituencies- Bastar, Raigarh, Surguja, Janjgir-Champa and Kanker. Besides, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also announced its candidates for six Lok Sabha constituencies. The Election Commission of India has issued notification for two phases of the Lok Sabha elections. The nominations are underway for four Lok Sabha constituencies- Bastar, Kanker, Mahasamund and Rajnandgaon.