ELECTIONS 2019: THOSE WHO MIGHT BE DENIED TICKETS FROM THE BJP

L K Advani, Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Apart from the two-year gap between 1996 to 98, Advani has represented the constituency continuously since 1991. Advani is now 90-years-old and likely to be asked by the party to retire from electoral politics. Uma Bharti, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh): A one-time Advani protégé, Bharti recently announced her retirement from electoral politics. At 58, Bharti is relatively young to mull quitting electoral politics pointing to her failing health. Shatrughan Sinha, Patna Sahib (Bihar): The 72year-old former Hindi film actor has represented Patna Sahib twice. He was a member of the union cabinet in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, but was not offered any ministerial berth in the Modi government. Sinha has been on the warpath since 2015 openly criticising Modi and Shah.

Kirti Azad, Darbhanga (Bihar): Azad, son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, has

represented Darbhanga thrice since 1999. But he has fallen out with the BJP’s top leadership and after voicing irregularities during Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s stint at the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association. He is currently suspended from the party. SS Ahluwalia, Darjeeling (West Bengal): In 2014, Ahluwalia entered the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling, winning the seat with the support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). However, the GJM has in recent months grown closer to the Trinamool Congress and may not be willing to support a BJP candidate from the constituency in 2019.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Saran (Bihar): Rudy, 55, has represented Chhapra, later renamed Saran, Lok Sabha constituency off and on since 1996. Rudy was the minister of skill development in the Modi government but was unceremoniously dropped in 2017. The word is that Rudy isn’t particularly liked by the top leadership.