Mandleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): Giving a big jolt to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, hundreds of BJP workers at Katargaon, in Mandleshwar resigned from the party during a meeting held at the Patidar Samaj Dharamshala here on Friday.
The workers cited their opposition to the party's official candidate Rajkumar Mev who they see as anti-union, as the primary reason for their mass resignation.
The workers expressed frustration with the BJP's high command, claiming that their concerns were being ignored and that the local BJP organisation was imposing a dictatorial approach to the upcoming elections.
Rajkumar Mev, who had previously contested as an independent candidate and defeated the BJP's official candidate in the 2018 elections, was selected as the party's candidate this time.
This decision fuelled resentment among the workers, who believed that Mev had sold tickets from a public platform during his previous campaign. The situation escalated when the assembly convener for the elections, Narayan Patidar, issued strict orders, which were met with opposition from the workers.
The workers accused him of behaving dictatorially, intensifying their discontent. The workers announced that their protest would continue until the BJP high command replaced Rajkumar Mev with another candidate.
They also planned to extend the campaign to the booth level, with more than 3,000 workers, local public representatives and office-bearers from the entire assembly constituency resigning from the party membership.
During the meeting, senior BJP leaders addressed the workers, acknowledging their protests and assuring them that the high command was considering the situation. Rajeev Kale, Pawan Tawar, and Madhusudan Patidar also shared their perspectives on the matter.
This protest against Rajkumar Mev's candidature has been ongoing since its announcement, with workers and officials expressing their discontent in various ways, including public rallies, effigy burnings, bike rallies and demonstrations during the Jan Aashirwad Yatra.
Despite efforts by the BJP's high command and the administration to quell the protests, the workers remain resolute in their opposition.
Public Frustration Explodes Against Patel
Mandleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): Tensions escalated in the Maheshwar assembly constituency as residents displayed their growing anger towards MP Gajendra Singh Patel.
MP Patel had allegedly played a role in the cancellation of the proposed Maheshwar Medical College, a decision that had ignited resentment among the locals.
The public frustration exploded on Friday during the inauguration of a new building at Government College, Mandleshwar, under the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality Upgradation Project.
When MP Patel arrived, some students attempted to show black flags in protest. The police accompanying the MP dispersed the protesting students, leading to a scuffle and the arrest of one student.
