No Cong overtures so far

NAGPUR, Jan 18: Banwarilal Purohit, member of the dissolved Lak Sabha from Nagpur, has reportedly been getting offers from different politic...

NAGPUR, Jan 18: Banwarilal Purohit, member of the dissolved Lak Sabha from Nagpur, has reportedly been getting offers from different political parties to contest the ensuing mid-term polls to be held on February 22 next.

According to available information, Purohit, who was denied a BJP ticket from Nagpur constituency, was invited by the Republican Party of India RPI, Janata Dal, Rashtriya Janata Party RJP, led by Shankarsinh Vaghela, and some other regional parties to contest on their ticket.

Talking to The Indian Express, he firmly denied that the Congress party has given an offer to him. 8220;Neither I have received any offer from Congress nor I have approached them for a ticket,8221; he said and also denied that the former Union minister and senior Congress leader N K P Salve had contacted him in this regard.

Nevertheless, Purohit admitted that he got offers from different political parties to contest as their nominees. 8220;However, I have not taken any decision in this regard so far. I will talk with myfollowers in this connection and take a concrete decision accordingly,8221; he averred.

The former BJP leader also confessed to having a talk with another senior Congress leader, Vidyacharan Shukla over telephone. 8220;But it was not a political talk. We have discussed about the renewal of lease of The Hitavada,8221; he defended.

Meanwhile, a section of Congress leaders, including the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee MPCC chief, Ranjit Deshmukh, were insisting that the party should give ticket to Purohit. 8220;If the Congress gives the ticket to Purohit from Nagpur the seat can be wrested from BJP this time due to Purohit8217;s clean image and uprightness,8221; they argued.

On the other hand, a powerful Congress lobby led by Vilasrao Muttemwar, who himself is an aspirant for the Nagpur seat, was trying to block Purohit8217;s entry into the Congress.

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These leaders have argued that Purohit had even accused late Rajiv Gandhi while leaving the party in 1991. Besides, if the party gives a ticket to Purohit, the former BJP leader would not be able to garner Muslim and Dalit votes due to his aggressive role on the issue of Ramjanmabhoomi.

It may be recalled that the sitting Lok Sabha member from Nagpur had left the Congress on the issue of Ramjanmabhoomi. They pointed out that Purohit had actively involved in Kar Seva undertook by the activists of Sangh Parivaar on the fateful day of December 6, 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished.

Purohit, is the Managing Editor of local English daily, The Hitavada, which is being run by his Purohit and Company. He took the reins of the English daily from Shukla on lease in 1978-79 when the former union minister faced a financial crunch.