Jaswant Singh denied Barmer ticket, may contest as independent candidate | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Jaswant Singh denied Barmer ticket, may contest as independent candidate

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Mar 22, 2014 01:57 AM IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday denied a ticket to former defence minister Jaswant Singh from Barmer in Rajasthan — a move that could trigger a fresh bout of bickering in the saffron camp over the selection of candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday denied a ticket to former defence minister Jaswant Singh from Barmer in Rajasthan — a move that could trigger a fresh bout of bickering in the saffron camp over the selection of candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje's pick, Col Sona Ram, was fielded from the seat instead of Singh. Ram, who joined the BJP recently, is a 'tainted' former Congress leader and a relative of ex-Delhi parliamentarian Sajjan Kumar. He wields a considerable influence over the local Jat community.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Singh has already indicated that he may quit the BJP and contest as an independent candidate in case the BJP denied him a ticket from Barmer.

"Ram is a Jat, the community which accounts for nearly 20% of Barmer's population. Ram has been a vocal opponent of Ashok Gehlot, Raje's main rival in Rajasthan. She ruled in favour of Ram to consolidate her base in the state," a BJP leader said.

The Congress has fielded current MP Harish Choudhary, also a Jat leader.

Singh is a sitting MP from Darjeeling in West Bengal and he had recently expressed his desire to shift to his home state. The BJP's refusal to give in to Singh's demand comes a day after party patriarch LK Advani accepted to contest from Gandhinagar after a 24-hour sulk.

Some in the BJP reportedly feared that Singh coming back to Rajasthan might create another power centre in the desert state, where the BJP is believed to be comfortably placed after an emphatic victory in the December 2013 assembly elections.

Advani was in favour of fielding Jaswant from Rajasthan, and had apparently spoken to Raje to accommodate him in the list of candidates.

Meanwhile, the BJP fielded singer Bappi Lahiri from Serampore in West Bengal and B Sriramulu from Bellary in Karnataka.

Senior leader Sushma Swaraj had opposed Sriramulu's entry into the BJP and was also averse to fielding him in the Lok Sabha elections for his links with the controversial mining barons of Bellary — the Reddy brothers.

But the party decided to ignore his reservation as Sriramulu is considered to be a candidate who can win in Bellary.

The BJP also fielded journalist Ashwani Kumar Chopra 'Minna' from Karnal in Haryana, and its Tamil Nadu unit chief, Pon Radhakrishnan, from Kannyakumari.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Live Updates, Bihar Board 12th Result Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On