Harin Pathak addresses a press conference at Maninagar in Ahmedabad on Sunday
Turbulence in the BJP over ticket distribution continued today with seven-time MP from Gujarat, Harin Pathak saying he was "deeply hurt" by "party activities" in the recent months. Mr Pathak was yesterday denied a ticket from the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency that he represents. Actor Paresh Rawal replaced him as the new candidate.
"In the next three days, I will consult my workers before deciding the future course of action," said Mr Pathak, who is still with the party.
A known LK Advani loyalist, Mr Pathak had been winning the seat since 1991. But he had recently expressed his willingness to give it up for his chief minister and the BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi following speculation earlier that the latter might be chosen to run from the constituency.
"It's beyond my understanding why I have been denied a ticket when the chief minister has chosen to contest from Vadodara," the 66-year-old prominent Brahmin leader told NDTV.
This is the second instance where the BJP is facing rebellion after veteran leader Jaswant Singh assailed the party after being denied a ticket to contest from his home constituency of Barmer in Rajasthan.
(Read) Earlier this week, party patriarch LK Advani agreed to run for Parliament from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, abandoning plans to relocate to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
(Read)"I would say the kind of consultation that ought to have been with the senior party leaders is missing," Mr Pathak said on being asked whether senior leaders were being ignored by the party.
He also hit out at the party for "inducting Congress' third grade turncoats, who have noisily criticised the party (BJP) earlier and they are even being felicitated here."
"I do not understand what was the need of this when Narendra Modi has a personality and when he is so popular," he said.
A former minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Mr Pathak had won the first election as an MP in 1989, when the BJP had a marginal presence in Gujarat.