Tomar junks Congress objection to BJP fielding Lok Sabha members for MP assembly polls

Union minister and Madhya Pradesh BJP election campaign committee convenor Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday questioned the Congress's objection to his party fielding central ministers and Members of Parliament for the year-end assembly polls in the state.

The opposition Congress has questioned the BJP's decision of fielding seven of its MPs, including three Union ministers, for the assembly polls, arguing the move shows that ''fear'' was prevailing in the ruling party and that it was bound to lose elections.

Asked about the Congress reaction, Tomar, who is one of the candidates fielded by the BJP, said all are party workers whether it is a Union minister or an MP.

He said, “The party's central committee has decided that these people (MPs and Union ministers) will contest the elections. When a decision has been taken, what objection the Congress has?'' Asked if he was informed about his candidature, Tomar replied in the affirmative.

Quizzed if more BJP MPs will contest the assembly polls, the Union minister avoided a direct reply and said, “Let's look forward.” Expressing confidence about the BJP's victory in the upcoming polls, Tomar said the Congress was afraid of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the opposition party doesn't have any issue to raise before voters.

He termed the Congress's ongoing 'Jan Akrosh Yatra' in Madhya Pradesh as a ''failed'' march.

Reacting to the BJP giving poll tickets to sitting Lok Sabha members, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath claimed this was akin to the ruling party conceding defeat in the state and it has played its ''last bet of false hope''.

''By giving assembly tickets to its MPs in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has proved that BJP is neither winning in the 2023 assembly elections nor in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This simply means that the ruling party has accepted that as a party it has become so infamous that it is not winning elections, so why not bet on the so-called big names only,'' Nath posted on X on Tuesday.

In the second list of 39 candidates announced on Monday, the BJP has fielded seven MPs, including three Union ministers, and a party general secretary.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya will contest from the Indore-1 assembly seat.

Union ministers Faggan Singh Kulaste has been given ticket from Niwas (ST), Prahlad Singh Patel from Narsinghpur and Tomar from Dimni.