Women, youth organisations in BJP-Congress want 40% tickets

BHOPAL: The women and youth organisations of both BJP and Congress have demanded around 40% of the total tickets for the Lok Sabha polls. If the parties accept the demand, at least 13 out of total 29 LS seats in the state would either have a woman or a youth candidate. Apart from the panel of candidates made by the parties on each LS seats, the women and youth wings have also formed their panels and shortlisted the candidates.


Leaders said they have shortlisted the candidates and sent it to the party president and national president of their respective women and youth wings. Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mandvi

Chauhan

, Youth Congress president Kunal Choudhary,

BJP Mahila Morcha

president Lata Elkar and

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha

state president Abhilash Pandey have confirmed to TOI that there are a number of winnable candidates in their wings and they have demanded sufficient representation of women and youths in LS polls.

Mahila Congress president Mandvi Chauhan said that they have demanded LS tickets from Jabalpur, Mandla, Sheopur, Morena,

Shahdol

, Ujjain,

Indore

, Bhopal and Vidisha for women. Chouhan herself is keen to contest from Bhopal LS seat but is not ready to push her name. Chauhan said the name of Shahshi Rajput has been sent from Vidisha, Archana Jaiswal from Indore, Vibha Patel from Bhopal, Parvinder Gujaral from Jabalpur. In fact, there are three to four candidate from each seat and naming one ticket contender would not be correct, she said. In 2014 LS polls, three women were given tickets, but all of them lost.

Youth Congress president Kunal Choudhary said that there is a panel of youth for every LS seat. “Our list of candidates includes Naresh Kaptan from Shajapur, Sanjay Yadav from Morena, Shashank Dubey from Jabalpur among others. A number of ministers in Kamal Nath’s government are from Youth Congress, including Priyavrat Singh and Govind Singh”, Kunal said, adding that he was also given a ticket in assembly polls and is an MLA now.

Similarly, BJP Mahila Morcha president Lata Elkar said she has demanded around eight Lok Sabha seats from the party. “BJP women candidates won Vidisha, Betul, Dhar, Indore and Sidhi seats in 2014 LS polls. So there are already five MPs. We have also demanded women tickets for Nina Pateria from Seoni-Malwa, Bharti Pardi from Chhatarpur, Sampatia Uike from Mandla among others”, she said.

BJYM state president Abhilash Pandey said there are 65 per cent young voters in the country and the ticket distribution should be done keeping in mind the same. “We have strong candidates who can win LS seats. I have given the names to party leaders, but would not disclose, as telling the names now could harm their prospects”, he added. Party leaders said none of their candidates would go against party line if denied tickets. But their expectation is to get the names considered by the party this time.