Sidelined, Uttaranchalis protest against leadership

Reports that the BJP leadership has decided to choose more Poorvanchali candidates to contest next month’s Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections have caused rifts among groups in the party.

Reports that the BJP leadership has decided to choose more Poorvanchali candidates to contest next month’s Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections have caused rifts among groups in the party.

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The BJP’s Uttaranchali party activists are miffed that only four candidates from the group have been given tickets to contest the polls.

The Uttaranchali members demonstrated outside senior leader Venkaiah Naidu’s house on Aurangzeb Road and demanded more tickets for their candidates. They claimed that there was a huge Uttaranchali population in the city, which meant that they should get more tickets.

Sitting councillor Laxmi Dhasmana, an Uttaranchali who lost her ticket from Brahmpuri, was at Aurangzeb Road with her supporters.

Her ward has been earmarked for general category candidates and she had requested the leaders to let her contest from a ward reserved for women. “They had given me assurances but I have been told that my name is not on the list,” she said.

BJP leaders said the number of Poorvanchalis had increased in the city over the past few years and they should get greater representation.