DENIED TICKET, BSP REBELS MAY PLAY SPOILSPORT

Peeved at not being given party nomination, several Bahujan Samaj Party ticket aspirants might contest independently in the February 15 assembly elections.

The party announced its first list of candidates from 50 seats -nearly 30 of which are in Dehradun, Haridwar and US Nagar -on January 14. While the list has a heady mix of candidates cutting across caste and community lines, it does not include any woman candidate.

BSP leader, Usha Devi, who was seeking ticket from Doiwala assembly seat, criticised the party’s decision to introduce “new” faces. The party has given the ticket from Doiwala to Haji Abdul Hamid, a former Congress leader who joined the party after the 2014 general elections.

“It’s surprising how Behanji (BSP president Mayawati) has distributed tickets… She talks of 44% reservation to dalits, but hasn’t given place to any women on the candidates’ list.” Sources close to Usha Devi told HT that she will contest the election as an independent from the same constituency.

“If party has valued new faces and not the ones who had worked for years, then it’s better to contest independently,” says Ashok Singh, another ticket hopeful.

Party sources say, senior leaders are trying to pacify “left outs”. State BSP in-charge, Pradeep Jatav however, claimed there was no unrest in the party.