MP Lok Sabha Polls: BJP May Field New Faces In At Least Dozen Seats
Bhopal: BJP is planning to field new faces in at least a dozen out of total 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming polls, due in April-May this year.
The party is seriously considering replacing some sitting MPs with fresh faces to beat the anti-incumbency factor working against them in their respective constituencies, a senior BJP functionary told this newspaper on Monday, unwilling to be quoted.
“The internal survey by the party has indicated that an anti-incumbency factor is working against at least seven sitting MPs in their respective constituencies. The party leadership is most likely to replace these sitting MPs with new faces to win these seats”, the BJP leader said.
This apart, five sitting MPs in Madhya Pradesh had resigned from the Lok Sabha following their elections to the state assembly in the November polls.
New faces are going to be fielded in these parliamentary constituencies, the BJP leader said.
The five sitting MPs who got elected to the state Assembly are former Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prallhad Patel, Rithi Pathak, Rakesh Singh, and Uday Pratap Singh.
Two other sitting MPs who were fielded in the Assembly polls but lost the elections are Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste and Ganesh Singh.
Party sources said that a decision was yet to be taken by the BJP leadership whether they would be retained in their respective constituencies in the upcoming LS polls.
The in-charges of clusters comprising three-four Lok Sabha constituencies each have submitted their feedback on the ground situation to the party, sources said.
The 29 LS constituencies in the state have been divided into seven clusters.
Congress, on the other hand, is mounting pressure on the senior leaders in the party in the state to contest the ensuing LS polls to address the concern over funds, sources said.
“The Congress leadership is keen to field the senior leaders in the coming LS polls not only to address the concern over funds but also give the rival BJP candidates a run for their money. However, majority of senior leaders have so far evinced little interest to join the fray”, the Congress leader revealed.
Sources said that the party leadership wanted the senior leaders at least to take charge of the particular LS constituencies in the polls if they are not willing to contest the elections.
BJP had secured 28 out of 29 seats in the state in the last LS polls, leaving Congress to win the lone Chhindwara seat.