New Delhi: Supporters of poll aspirants from both BJP and Congress in Madhya Pradesh who were not given tickets for the upcoming assembly elections staged protests across the state, news agency PTI reported.
Miffed supporters of former BJP legislator and ex-minister Umashankar Gupta raised slogans in front of the office of state BJP president VD Sharma in Bhopal. They demanded party candidate Bhagwandas Sabnani, who is set to contest the elections from Bhopal South West constituency, be replaced.
Several office-bearers of the BJP from Bhopal South West also wrote to the state unit chief demanding to field Gupta from the seat.
Former BJP MLA from Tikamgarh, KK Shrivastava, resigned from the party’s primary membership citing displeasure over ticket distribution in a letter to the state BJP president, PTI reported.
In Gwalior, supporters of BJP leader Munnalal Goyal, a loyalist of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, staged protest outside his Jai Vilas Palace after Goyal was denied a ticket. To pacify them, Scindia drove to the palace gate and asserted that he stood by them and Goyal.
However, BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said sporadic demonstrations occurred due to “momentary excitement”.
"BJP workers toil for nationalist ideology and welfare of the poor, unlike the Congress. Protests have been held in the Congress camp for the last five days," PTI quoted Chaturvedi as saying.
Meanwhile, supporters of sitting Congress MLA from Badnagar, Murli Morwal, staged a violent protest in front of the residence of state party chief Kamal Nath after Morwal was denied a ticket.
The raised slogans, set tyres on fire, demanding Congress nominee Rajendra Singh Solanki be replaced from the constituency.
According to Madhya Pradesh Congress media department chairman KK Mishra, the ticket distribution has been very successful and "positive signals are coming from all over the state", PTI reported.
"These protests are very minor. This is a family matter which will be solved," he told the news agency.