Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 5
As the BJP today asserted that its stand on the issue of not giving the ticket to leaders above 75 years is “very clear”, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, an eight-time MP from Indore, penned a letter saying she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections.
In case Mahajan, who turns 76 on April 12, does not contest, she will be the 10th senior BJP leader to say goodbye to electoral politics this season. Those benched so far include patriarch LK Advani. Among those voluntarily opting out are Sushma Swaraj (67) and Uma Bharti (59).
Sources say Mahajan, like veteran Murli Manohar Joshi (85), was “quite keen” to contest. She had specifically asked the leadership whether she should “prepare” for the contest or not. She was given the “go-ahead”, sources claim.
Her open letter today is a testimony to her angst over her name not appearing in the BJP lists so far.
Wondering why the leadership has not nominated anyone from Indore so far, she wrote, “Why this situation of indecisiveness? It is possible that they have some doubts. This is despite me having discussions with senior leaders earlier and leaving the decision to them. It seems they are still in a dilemma. That is why I announce I don’t want to contest poll anymore.” The 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls in four phases — April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Indore votes on May 19.
Meanwhile, Joshi, who had written a similar letter on the day he was replaced, today met Advani — a day after the party patriarch wrote a letter stating that the BJP never regarded those who disagreed with it politically as “anti-nationals” or “enemies”. However, there was no comment from either leader on what transpired at the meeting.
The saffron party will turn 39 tomorrow and Advani and Joshi are among the founder members who have not been given the ticket.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2ORZAuI
via Today’s News Headlines
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