Even though the BJP managed to avert a major pre-poll crisis by persuading Dr C.P. Thakur to continue as its Bihar unit chief, rising dissent over ticket allocations has led to resignations from the party by two Patna leaders, who would now contest as Independents.
Behind the BJP’s seemingly unrelenting crisis is the fact that the party awarded some 22 outsiders with tickets for the six-phase Assembly polls, scheduled to begin on October 21, said sources.
With Dr Thakur back in his post and ready to join the campaign, the party is reportedly planning to reconsider at least a dozen tickets that were allotted without his consent and despite protests from most state leaders in the party.
Dr Thakur relented after his son, Vivek Thakur, who failed to get the BJP ticket from Patna’s Bankipur constituency despite lobbying hard, was assured of a berth in the Bihar Legislative Council, the upper House, sources said.
Besides, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari’s reported promise of the party ticket from Bikram to Dr Thakur’s loyalist and sitting MLA Anil Kumar contributed to Dr Thakur’s decision to continue in as the Bihar BJP chief.
Hundreds of supporters of Ramjanm Sharma, a former MLA whose name was already announced as the BJP candidate from Bikram, are up in arms against the party is likely decision of fielding Anil Kumar from the constituency.
Ranbir Nandan, secretary of the Bihar BJP election management committee, resigned from the party on Sunday after failing to get a ticket to contest in Bankipur.
Another leader, Harendra Singh, who was lobbying hard to get a BJP ticket to contest from Digha but was disappointed after the seat was allotted to the JD(U), also resigned.
Both leaders announced their plans to contest in the two seats as Independent candidates.
Continuing resentment among BJP workers at several places across Bihar has rang alarm bells in the senior leadership and forced it to reconsider allotment of tickets, said sources.
The BJP is contesting in 102 constituencies in alliance with the JD(U), which is contesting in 141 constituencies.