Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Santosh Gangwar's supporters protested in front of BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary's resident, following controversial remarks by Mayor Umesh Gautam on Kurmi community. Despite attempts by senior BJP leaders to calm the situation, the discontent persisted.
Gangwar, BJP's long-serving MP, was denied a ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The decision caused a furore among his supporters.
The BJP in Bareilly has been caught up in a heated disagreement involving ticket refusals, accusations of disrespectful remarks and subsequent protests and divisions within the party.
Things escalated when an audio clip went viral, supposedly featuring Mayor Gautam making disrespectful comments about Gangwar and the Kurmi community. This audio only fuelled the discontent within the party, leading to protests outside Gangwar's home, where BJP workers expressed their opposition to Mayor Gautam.
During a recent conference attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, tensions rose as Mayor Gautam and Santosh Gangwar engaged in a heated argument, further dividing the BJP members.
Mayor Gautam denied making any derogatory comments and said he respected Gangwar. However, Gangwar chose not to comment much on the matter.
The BJP leadership tried to address the concerns, with Chaudhary acknowledging the dissatisfaction among activists and promising dialogue and resolution within the party's structure.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the internal rife in the BJP and sarcastically pointed out the turmoil as a sign of broader discontent within the party nationwide.
