New Delhi: Ticket distribution should be decided only on merit, competency and winnability, said senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sumitra Mahajan in an interview with ThePrint, but added that descendants of political families should not be denied party tickets simply because of their family links.
Mahajan’s comments come at a time when the BJP has been targeting rival parties on “dynastic politics”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also repeatedly spoken about his decision that the BJP will not give tickets to children of MLAs and MPs.
The veteran BJP leader was in news last week when responding at an event in Indore, while responding to a question posed by a journalist on defection by party members, she said, “I can’t speak for those who are leaving the party, but I will speak for those who have been in the party for years and have been serving the party with dedication. I am one of them, there are many others like me. The party should pay attention to these workers.”
Mahajan, a former Union minister and the first BJP leader to become the Lok Sabha speaker in 2014, desisted from standing for the 2019 elections, reportedly because of an unspoken party policy of not fielding leaders above the age of 75 years, to allow younger leaders a chance to grow. The veteran leader is, however, now said to be looking to field her son, Mandhar Mahajan, in this year’s coming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
Talking about the BJP stand on giving tickets to those from political families, Mahajan — fondly addressed as ‘Tai’ or elder sister — said, “if he [the candidate] deserves a ticket, he should not be denied ticket only because he comes from a political family, but if he does not deserve [a ticket], he should be not be given ticket only because of family influence. There can not be any hard-and-fast rule on deciding ticket distribution to those from political families. I have been saying this for many years, if any politician’s kin deserves a ticket, then don’t make him sit at home because of any rule.”
Responding to her comments, Bhagwandas Sabnani, Madhya Pradesh BJP general secretary said the “party always gives ticket after analysing winnability and merit”.
According to party sources, Mahajan is seeking a ticket for her son from the Rau assembly constituency in Indore. The former speaker herself had won eight Lok Sabha elections in the past from Indore.
Her comments on giving tickets to candidates from political families come in the wake of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inducting former CM Uma Bharti’s nephew, Rahul Lodhi into cabinet, in a move that is largely being interpreted as an attempt to mollify Bharti and the influential Lodhi community in the state.
Bharti is said to have nursed a grudge against Chouhan ever since the party high command ignored her claims to the MP CM’s chair, to install Chouhan in the seat.
Mahajan, in her interview with ThePrint, also dispelled allegations of anti-incumbency sentiments against the Chouhan government — citing the many women-centric schemes introduced by the Madhya Pradesh CM — claimed Jyotiraditya Scindia’s entry into BJP in 2020 — along with 22 Congress MLAs, paving the way for the collapse of Kamal Nath-led Congress party in MP and the return to power of the BJP — has made the party stronger, and voiced support for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ model being deliberated by the government.
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‘No anti-incumbency’
ThePrint had earlier reported that at least 30 BJP office-bearers and leaders including a sitting MLA, a former member of Parliament and six former MLAs have joined the Congress over the past five months.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti’s public outburst last week on not being invited to the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, launched by party president J.P. Nadda in Madhya Pradesh on 3 September, too underlines growing differences within the state unit of the ruling party.
Claiming that leaders changing parties for poll tickets was common ahead of elections, Mahajan, however, said, “In BJP there are lakhs of workers who have been working for the party with dedication — whether it’s mandal [an organisational unit] president or booth workers, party has reached to such heights due to these dedicated workers. Party should also think about them and pay attention to those workers.”
On BJP’s prospects in the coming elections and whether there was any fear of anti-incumbency against the Chouhan-led BJP government in the state, the veteran leader said, “I don’t see any anti-incumbency against Shivraj Singh government in the state. To win election, everybody in the organisation will unite to make their contribution to defeating the opposition. Everyone is working in tandem to win the [coming] election and there is no such anti-incumbency against [the] chief minister. So in my opinion BJP will form government in the state.”
Mahajan added: “Shivraj ji has done tremendous work for every segment. His Ladli Laxmi Yojana [which seeks to bring in positivity towards the birth of a girl child, improve the sex ratio in the state, and boost education for girls] has had a huge impact on life of women in the state. Right from when he became CM for the first time, he has been working for the upliftment and empowerment of women in Madhya Pradesh. That is the reason women have a special affection for the chief minister.”
As for herself, the former speaker said, while the party had given her enough — from making her a Union minister to Lok Sabha speaker — whenever the BJP needed her support, she continued to be available.
Scindia’s entry made BJP stronger
In 2020, it was Jyotiraditya Scindia’s defection from the Congress, along with that of 22 Congress MLAs close to him, which paved the way for the Kamal Nath-led Congress party in MP and the return to power of the BJP, under Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
While Scindia is now a cabinet minister in the Union government, he is said to be facing opposition from BJP leaders who fought against him on his home turf when he was in the Congress.
The leader is also purportedly involved in a rivalry with some veteran BJP leaders owing to his CM aspirations.
Speaking about Scindia’s inclusion in the party, Mahajan said, “for any party to grow and expand, there is constant process of inducting new leaders and workers”.
She added: “New leadership has to be promoted in the party, new energy is needed for the party. As far as Scindia ji is concerned, Rajmata ji [Vijaya Raje Scindia] has done so much for the growth of BJP in the ’80s and ’90s. When Madhav Rao [Scindia Jyotiraditya’s father’, ji left Jan Sangh [to which the BJP traces its roots] that time also we felt why was he leaving the party [He went on to join the Congress]. Even Rajmata ji felt sadness. After Jyotiraditya ji joined BJP, our strength amplified and we became ek se gyarah [one to eleven].”
On Manipur and ‘One Nation, One Election’
On the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur between the state’s Kuki and Meitei communities, and the allegations of sexual violence against women, including purported videos of women being paraded naked, the former speaker said, “Not only Manipur, wherever atrocities against women happen, it is condemnable. It should not have happened.”
She added: “As far as Manipur issue is concerned, it’s complex. There are several faultlines in the state between tribals and non-tribals. The government is working overtime to restore normalcy, but it’s also true that development in northeast has reached new heights under Modi government.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come under fire for his prolonged silence on the Manipur issue, even though Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the state in an effort to contain the situation.
The former Lok Sabha speaker, also touched upon the BJP government’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea, which has also been attacked by the Opposition.
Saying that “One Nation, One Election was the need of the hour, Mahajan said, “it’s not new. Earlier too polls happened simultaneously, but due to various factors this cycle got disturbed.”
Earlier this month, the Modi government set up a committee under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind, to work on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea, which has been repeatedly endorsed by the Prime Minister in the past.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ theory aims for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections, to be held on the same day or over a stipulated period.
Government sources had earlier told ThePrint that the committee under Kovind has been tasked with holding deliberations with stakeholders to reach a legal and political consensus on the issue.
“One Nation, One Election will reduce the cost of conducting elections and give governments time to focus more on governance. Now committee has been formed to discuss the issue. In my opinion government tenure should be fixed for five years, and to avoid mid-term poll, we need to change the anti-defection law also. But overall, ‘One Nation, One Election’ will strengthen democracy in the long run.”
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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