Ratlam: Ex-home minister of the state and senior BJP leader Himmat Kothari on Sunday questioned the justification of issuing show cause notice to ex-minister Jayant Malaiya after the defeat of party candidate Rahul Lodhi in the Damoh by elections. Kothari also questioned giving entry to defeated BJP candidate Rahul Lodhi into the party immediately thereafter according status of ministerial rank to him. He argued that Lodhi was given entry without seeking opinion of the Damoh BJP leaders and workers.
When asked Kothari said that the contribution of ex-minister and senior leader Jayant Malaiya should not have been ignored by the party as he is one of the pillars of the then Jansangh and now BJP in MP politics.
Kothari said that instead of issuing show cause notice to leader like Malaiya, partyís state unit should look into the real causes which caused the partyís defeat in by elections.
He asserted that the loyalty of Malaiya towards party ideology should not be questioned at this juncture. He said that Malaiya has been made ëBali Ka Bakraí (a scapegoat) after the defeat of Rahul Lodhi as party candidate in Damoh by-elections.
When asked he said that the main cause of partyís defeat was allotting party ticket to Rahul Lodhi in Damoh byelection. Rising prices, neglecting middle class and lower middle class could be amongst the causes but according to him the biggest cause of defeat of party in Damoh byelction is entry of Lodhi and the manner in which he was given party ticket to contest byelections. He reiterated that issuing show cause notice to leader like Malaiya is not justified but it will be in the interest of party to find out actual causes of defeat.
