FAIZABAD: A group of BJP workers, angry over ticket being given to an “outsider” from Ayodhya Assembly seat, tied the local MP Lallu Singh and party unit chief Awadhesh Pandey with ropes and held them hostage for about two hours.
BJP had allotted ticket to Ved Gupta, who had recently joined the party from BSP, from Ayodhya Assembly constituency.
The two leaders were released later after the workers got assurance that their demand would be put before the party’s state leadership.
“BJP workers had been demanding that the party should field a candidate from the cadre, and were treating Gupta as an outsider.
They were angry over the top BJP leadership’s decision (to field Gupta). Singh and I had gone to the party office to pacify them, but they held us hostage,” Pandey said.
We have promised them that we will put their demands before the state leadership, he added. “Our top leadership has selected Gupta as a candidate; however, we will try to explain our workers to accept the decision,” he said.
Gupta started his political career from Congress in the early 80s but joined BJP later in the decade and was active in the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. He later joined Samajwadi Party in 2002 and contested elections.