INDORE: An aspirant for corporator’s post from BJP in Dewas on Saturday staged a protest at the party office and attempted self- immolation after failing to get a party ticket.
The incident was reported in the morning when a ticket-seeker identified as Bhojraj Singh Jadon reached Dewas BJP office and urged the senior party leaders to consider his candidature for corporator post from Ward 25 of the city.
“I am a resident of Ward 25 and a strong candidate for the corporator post but the party gave ticket to an ‘outsider’, which is not tolerable” said Jadon, while his supporters were raising slogans against BJP’s candidate selection. In the melee before the senior leaders could guess about his next step, he took a can, from a person standing behind him said to be filled with kerosene and poured it on himself. He reached for the matchbox but was overpowered by his supporters. Someone poured a can filled with water on him before taking him away from the spot.
A video of the incident soon went viral on social media platforms, raising questions over discipline along with alleged resentment among the BJP workers over ticket distribution in the civic polls.
“It was a pre-planned move,” claimed Dewas BJP district president Rajiv Khandelwal, adding, that the party had received around 450 applications for 45 wards. Senior leaders including MP, MLAs and office-bearers have selected the best candidate.
“Some party workers were expecting ticket but they could not make it and there is resentment on this count. It is natural and it would die down in the next two-three days,” he told TOI. He added that Jadon is not an office-bearer of BJP, but a worker, else disciplinary action would have immediately been taken against him.
