Indore: Outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker and local MP Sumitra Mahajan returned empty handed from New Delhi on Sunday as no big leader of BJP met her exclusively to discuss about her successor for Indore Lok Sabha seat. Amid speculations over probable candidate of saffron party for Indore seat, Mahajan endearingly called as Tai flew to New Delhi to attend a programme organised to mark birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. It was expected that she would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national organisational general secretary Ramlal and state organisational general secretary Vinay Sahasrabuddhe to discuss candidate for Indore Lok Sabha seat. As per sources, she failed to meet any of them separately.
She met Modi during tribute paying ceremony to Ambedkar on occasion of his 128th birth anniversary at Parliament House. “PM wished her belated happy birthday. Both exchanged smiles and gestures and that was all,” a BJP functionary said. He said no political discussion could take place at function either. Eight-time MP from Indore seat, Mahajan was hopeful of getting ticket for the ninth time. But when BJP national president Amit Shah declared that party had decided not to field candidates above the age of 75, Mahajan who recently turn 76 announced that she won’t contest LS elections. After that names of many hopefuls had started doing rounds, which included BJP general secretary Kailash Vijyavargiya, Indore mayor Malini Gaud, Indore-2 MLA Ramesh Mendola, former IDA chairman Shankar Lalwani, Mhow MLA Usha Thakur and ex-MP Krishna Murari Moghe. Even former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was stated to be among the probable as Mahajan camp thought he would be good enough to counter Vijayvargiya.
At one point of time, it appeared that party may field Vijayvargiya when news regarding Congress considering name of Jyotiraditya Scindia for Indore started doing the rounds. But as Scindia was granted ticket by Congress from Guna, Vijayvargiya chances became bleak and he on Saturday announced that he is tied up in West Bengal. Mahajan returns empty handed from New Delhi Gopi nema is new name in pRobable list City BJP president Gopi Krishna Nema, who is close to Mahajan and external affair minister Sushma Swaraj, is a new name which has made to the list of probables. According to sources, Mahajan and Swaraj both are pushing for his name. Mahajan camp, who is also supporting candidature of Lalwani, thinks that with Swaraj’s support chances of Nema getting ticket is more.
Swaraj is also in central election committee member, which is finalising ticket for each seat. ConG to wait till end Congress, which had announced tickets of all seats but Indore, on Sunday reiterated that it is going to announce candidate for Indore seat only after the saffron party declare its candidate. “Within an hour after announcement of candidate by BJP, Congress will declare its candidate for Indore seat. We are in no hurry,” higher education minister Jitu Patwari said.
