LUCKNOW: The bigger the political party, the louder and shriller is the dissent. Similarly, voices of dissent have surfaced in the ruling camp after the announcement of 51 candidates of Uttar Pradesh where the party has repeated the sitting MPs, and the one where the new face of Saket Mishra has been introduced for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.It may be recalled that the BJP had announced first list of 195 candidates of which 51 were meant for Uttar Pradesh. Of the 51 candidates announced so far, while the party reposed faith in 44 sitting MPs, it has given tickets to three candidates – Sambhal, Amroha and Lalganj—who had lost election in 2019.Moreover, three new faces – Saket Mishra from Shravasti, Ritesh Pandey (BSP turncoat) from Ambedkarnagar and Kripa Shankar Singh from Jaunpur — have also been introduced in battleground UP.However, despite party leadership’s appeal to the cadre to put up a united face with a robust campaign to ensure party candidates’ victory, the sulking cadre at various places have not been able to suppress their sentiments against the candidate declared by the party.The dissenting voices emerged in Shravasti where the BJP has fielded Saket Mishra, the MLC and an investment banker. He also enjoys the status of being the son of retired IAS officer Nripendra Mishra, chairman, Ram Temple Construction Committee.It is pertinent to mention here that the BJP lost Shravasti in 2019 to the BSP.There have been certain incidents where some of the local BJP workers, who were among the ticket aspirants, thronged the party office in Shravasti raising slogans against Mishra.Meanwhile, Saket Mishra, with a nonchalant demeanour, took out an impressive roadshow leading a convoy of 200-vehicles in an open four-wheeler, covering three assembly segments and showcasing his mass connect. As per the local BJP leaders, Mishra has been working in Shravasti, which happens to be his Nanihal (place of maternal grand-parents) for the last five years. “Sakateji has been active here for the last five years. His Nana (maternal grandfather) Badlu Ram Shukla has been an MP from adjoining Bahraich,” says a local BJP leader.Not only Shravasti but a few seats where the sitting MPs have been repeated are witnessing dissent. In Fatehpur Sikri, the twin constituency of Agra, Rajkumar Chahar, a Jat OBC leader and sitting MP, has been repeated. Chahar’s candidature is being opposed by Rameshwar Chaudhury, son of Chaudhury Babulal, sitting BJP MLA from Fatehpur Sikri. Rameshwar Chaudhury organised a panchayat to express his discontent. “Around 8000 people attended the panchayat who unanimously demanded a review of ticket from Fatehpur Sikri. I think the party should respect the popular sentiment. If we fail to evoke any response, a mahapanchayat will be organized,” said Rameshwar Chaudhury hinting the popular sentiment in his favour.Similarly, in Muzaffarnagar, there were protests against the decision to give another chance to Kairana candidate Pradeep Chaudhury, an OBC leader. Pradeep Chaudhury is the sitting BJP MP from Kairana. He had trounced Tabssum Hassan of Samajwadi Party by a margin of over 92,000 votes in 2019. This time, the SP has fielded Ikra Hassan, daughter of Tabassum Hassan and sister of Nahid Hassan, the SP leader who is in jail in connection with multiple criminal cases.However, when asked about the protests, BJP state secretary Abhijat Mishra said that each party worker needed to understand that ticket was given only one person and rest of the party had to stand behind him with all its might. Everyone needed to make some sacrifices to achieve a bigger goal keeping the nation before the party.
Source link
