BHOPAL: More than a year ahead of the Madhya Pradesh polls, the BJP has made it clear that it will not accept ‘parivar-vaad’ (dynastic politics) within, in a warning to its leaders not to project their family members as claimants to the party ticket.
Indications about the party’s strategy came on Tuesday on the sidelines of meetings of senior central leaders with state party’s core group members in the state capital.
“The PM has already made it clear that family or dynastic politics won’t be allowed. It’s a clear indication for the future,” said BJP senior leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.
Interestingly, Vijayvargiya’s son Akash is the first- time BJP MLA from Indore-III seat. If sources are to be believed, then either of them won’t be able to contest the assembly or 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The PM’s ‘zero tolerance’ to ‘parivar-vaad’ will also cast a shadow on the ‘son-rise’ among present ministers and other senior BJP leaders. At least a dozen such leaders may invite a review of their ticket claims.
These leaders include home minister Narottam Mishra’s son Sukarna, PWD minister Gopal Bhargava’s son Abhishek, agriculture minister Kamal Patel’s son Sudip, ex-Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s son Mandar, ex state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan’s son Harshvardhan, ex finance minister Jayant Malaiya’s son Siddharth, ex forest minister Gaurishankar Shejwar’s son Mudit, ex MP Prabhat Jha’s son Tushmul, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s son Devendra and Backward Caste Commission head Gourishankar Bisen’s daughter Mausam.
Even the present cabinet has members whose fathers have been senior BJP leaders.
While medical education minister Vishvas Sarang’s father Late Kailash Sarang was a RS member, science and technology minister OP Sakhlecha is the son of former CM Late Virendra Kumar Sakhlecha and sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia is the youngest daughter of Vijaya Raje Scindia.
Many other present MLAs too are sons, daughters or spouses of senior BJP leaders.
State BJP sources say one of these MLAs, ex-minister Surendra Patwa, has stopped visiting his constituency Bhojpur in view of the possibility of him not being fielded in 2023.
In UP polls, BJP had denied the party ticket to the relatives of many existing ministers and lawmakers, including Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s son Mayank.