Former BJP MLA’s son file nomination as Independent candidate
Defying party decisions to keep him out of fray Chetan Bragta, son of former BJP MLA Narendra Bragta filed nomination as an Independent candidate.for Jubbal Kotkahi Assembly by election here today.
Mr Chetan Bragta turned up at Kotkhai on the appeal of thousands of supporters and loyalists of the former MLA to file nomination at 930 hrs this morning.
Younger Bragta told media persons that he took the decisions on the pressure of a large number of party voters however he is feeling hurt and cheated after being denied a ticket in the most ridiculous manner by the ruling party.
” There is strong resentment among a number of voters and my family, especially his mother ( wife of former former MLA ) as all of them are upset over sudden decisions made by the party denying ticket to him ” .Chetan Bragta said with sobbing in a public meeting on Thursday .
Party seemed to have taken this decision to not support dynastic politics , Mr Bragta said putting questionmarks, why senior leaders directed him 15 days after the demise of his MLA father to prepare for the poll withoutwasting time longer while he was in deep shock over this death .
He alleged that he was kept in the dark however he never insisted on a party ticket in place of his father.” I would have been a happiest person or a disciplined party soldier if this fact was disclosed to him in
time by the party leadership he stated in a public meeting before filing nomination here on Thursday.
He lamented that instead of him there would be no harm to give ticket to any else of the party but the insultsmeted out to him and family could not be accepted and highly indignified. He asked why his demise father built up the BJP in Jubbal Kotkhai which is considered the strongest Congress bastion once upon.
” Mr Narendera Bragta who is now in heaven could not be able to face this day as the party he served and grow with his blood and also dedicated his family members for its service did a grave injustice by keeping him in the dark.” he stated in the speech which become viral on social media.
Number of party workers and supporters of the former MLA gathered during the filing of nomination as Chetan Bragta decided to go solo for allegedly some of the senior leaders of the ruling party had played with emotion and sentiment of the aggrieved family.
Now ruling party candidate Neelam Saraik who also filed nomination in presence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at Kotkhai on Friday has to face two two-fold battles if Mr Bragta continues to be in Fray as Oct 10 is the last date of withdrawal. Party communique issued here today claimed that Mr Bragta would be pursvade by them to withdraw his paper however both camps are keeping distance from each other.
Some of the loyalists of Chetan Bragta shouted slogan against the Chief Minister and party president for alleged injustice with Mr Bragata during the nomination of Ms Saraik which was followed by a public gathering at Kotkahi market.
As it has been stated yesterday that Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and BJP president Suresh Kashyap asked Mr Chetan Bragta to meet them at Oakover in CM residence however he decided to not attend the meeting on the advise of his supporters. The rival factions were of the view that CM and party president have nothing to offer him, asking him to not go alone.
Jubbal Kotkhai is assembly segments which belonged to two Congress Chief Ministers ruled most of the time the hill state however Mr Narendra Bragta succeeded to won from this assembly segments in 2004 and 2017. This assembly segment fell vacant after his death recently and now a byelection is being underway in the state as the polling would be held on Oct 30.
Congress have again filed former tow time MLA Mr Rohit Thakur son of former Chief Minister Mr Ram Lal Thakur in the fray has strong mass base in Kotkhai area of constituency. The Jubbal area is considered the
stronghold of Narendra Bragata. Ms Naleem Saraik who is the official candidate of BJP is two time Zila Parishad memberalso belonged to Kotkhai area . The contest likely to be triangular if the party could not pacify the agitated young turk out of fray.