Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023: Protest outside Scindia’s palace over ticket denial
The Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023 are just around the corner, and the political temperature in the state is rising. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress are busy finalizing their candidate lists, and there is a lot of resentment among those who have been denied tickets.
One such leader is Munnalal Goyal, a loyalist of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Goyal was denied a ticket from the Gwalior East Assembly segment, which he had represented in the past. On Sunday, October 23, 2023, Goyal’s supporters staged a protest outside Scindia’s Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior.
The protest
The protesters chanted slogans in support of Goyal and demanded that he be given the ticket. They also accused the BJP leadership of nepotism and favoritism.
Scindia himself came out to meet the protesters and tried to pacify them. He said that he understood their anger and that he would take up the matter with the party leadership. However, he also made it clear that he could not guarantee that Goyal would be given the ticket.
Goyal is not the only BJP leader who has been denied a ticket. Several other sitting MLAs and ministers have also been dropped from the list. This has led to a lot of resentment within the party, and there is a fear that it could affect the BJP’s performance in the elections.
Some of the other prominent BJP leaders who have been denied tickets include (Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023):
Umashankar Gupta, former minister and sitting MLA from Bhopal South West
KK Shrivastava, former MLA from Tikamgarh
Sanjay Sharma, sitting MLA from Morena
Narottam Mishra, sitting MLA from Datia
Suresh Dhakad, sitting MLA from Manpur
The BJP leadership has not given any specific reasons for denying tickets to these leaders. However, there are a few possible explanations.
One possibility is that the BJP wants to project a fresh image in the elections. The party has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for 15 years (Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023), and there is a growing anti-incumbency sentiment. By denying tickets to sitting MLAs and ministers, the BJP is trying to send a message to the voters that it is willing to make a change.
Another possibility is that the BJP is trying to reward its loyalists. Scindia, for example, is a powerful leader in Madhya Pradesh (Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023), and he has been instrumental in bringing the BJP back to power in the state. By giving tickets to Scindia’s supporters, the BJP is trying to keep him on its side.
Impact on the elections
The ticket denials are likely to have a negative impact on the BJP’s performance in the elections. The disgruntled leaders and their supporters are likely to work against the party. This could lead to a split in the BJP vote, which could benefit the Congress.
The Congress is already on a high after its recent victory in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. If the BJP’s internal problems continue, the Congress could have a chance to win the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections as well.
Conclusion
The protest outside Scindia’s palace is a sign of the growing resentment within the BJP over ticket denials. The BJP leadership needs to handle the situation carefully, or it could cost the party the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections (Madhya Pradesh Polls 2023).
