BJP mahila morcha chief protests lack of representation for women

Even as it readies to announce candidates from 13 seats, the BJP faced protest from within its ranks on Wednesday.

Vishakha Shailani, president of the Delhi BJP’ women’s wing, protested at the party office about the small number of women candidates. Only two women candidates figured in the party’s initial list — Kalpana Jain from Gandhi Nagar and the old timer, Dr Anita Arya, from Patel Nagar. Shailani had been demanding the ticket from Ambedkar Nagar in South Delhi. This ticket, however, has been given to Suresh Pehlwan. “If they can’t give a ticket to the president of their own mahila morcha, it reflects the duplicity of their promises,” Shailani said.

The party’s Delhi chief, Harsh Vardhan, was surrounded by protestors from Deoli, who claimed the party’s candidate, Chaudhary Bhim Singh, the nephew of Congress Speaker Prem Singh Chaudhary, is also a Congress man. “How can they give the ticket to a person who belongs to the Congress. The BJP is ignoring its own cadres,” Ajay Singh, who wanted a ticket too, said. BJP workers from all four mandals in this constituency have allegedly resigned.