Support for disgruntled BJP, Congress leaders spurs protests across Madhya Pradesh

Protests by angry supporters of BJP and Congress leaders who failed to secure tickets for the upcoming Assembly polls continued across Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.

Protests by angry supporters of BJP and Congress leaders who failed to secure tickets for the upcoming Assembly polls continued across Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.

Videos surfaced of several supporters of BJP leader and former MLA Munnalal Goyal, who was denied a ticket from Gwalior East Assembly segment, gathering outside the palace of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Mr. Goyal was one of the 22 Scindia-loyalist MLAs who had walked out of Congress’s Kamal Nath government in March 2020 and helped bring it down.

Mr. Goyal, however, had lost the following byelections. This time around, the party decided to field Maya Singh from the constituency.

As Mr. Goyal’s supporters created a ruckus outside the palace, Mr. Scindia had to step out to talk to them. He tried to pacify the angry supporters even as they continued sloganeering and even lied down in front of his car.

Meanwhile, several women Congress workers, supporters of party leader Deepti Singh who had sought a ticket from Bhopal’s Govindpura Assembly segment, staged a sit-in at the Pradesh Congress Committee office in the State capital. The Congress has fielded Ravindra Sahu from the seat against sitting BJP MLA Krishna Gaur, the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur.

The two parties are now busy trying to get a grip on the situation and convince the disgruntled leaders.

Earlier on Saturday, soon after the BJP released its fifth list of 92 candidates, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav was heckled by angry BJP workers at Jabalpur party office. The angry workers, supporters of party leader Sharad Jain who was denied a ticket from the Jabalpur-North seat, also beat up a security person, as shown in viral videos.