"I'm Senior Leader, Will I Ask For Votes With Folded Hands?": BJP Veteran

Whenever a political party releases its lists of candidates for elections, many are upset for not making the cut. But in this case, a BJP veteran appears to be upset because he was picked for polls.

Kailash Vijayvargiya, the BJP's national general secretary and veteran leader, has said he was "surprised" when his name was on the list and that he did not have even "1 per cent desire" to contest this time.

Addressing his supporters at an event, the 67-year-old leader said, "I am not happy from within. I am telling the truth. I had no desire to contest, not even 1 per cent. There is a mindset to contest. I am a senior leader now, will I now ask for votes with folded hands? I had thought I will give speeches and leave. This was my plan."

Mr Vijayvargiya has been fielded from the Indore-1 Assembly seat. He has earlier served as Indore Mayor, a cabinet minister in Madhya Pradesh government and held senior positions within the BJP. His son Akash is sitting MLA from Indore-3 seat.

"I had planned eight public meetings -- five by helicopter and three by car. But what you think never happens. What happens in God's will. He wants me to contest elections, go back to the people again. I still can't believe that I am a candidate, that I have been given a ticket," he said to loud cheers from his supporters.

In another interaction with the media, Mr Vijayvargiya said, "I am fortunate that the party has selected me again for an electoral contest. I will try to fulfil the party's expectations."

Indore-1 constituency is currently represented by the Congress's Sanjay Shukla.

"There is a huge scope for development in Indore-1 Assembly constituency. Many people do not get basic amenities," Mr Vijayvargiya said.

On why the BJP has not named a Chief Minister candidate, Mr Vijayvargiya said the party follows a "collective leadership" model. "Polls are due in four states, but no leader has been announced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the campaign. This is our strategy," he said.

The BJP veteran is among many heavyweights selected for the Assembly poll fight this time. The second list of candidates released Monday had names of as many as seven MPs, three of them Union Ministers.

The move has set political circles abuzz. The BJP's move to pull out top guns has been interpreted as a message to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who does not feature in any of the lists announced so far. Rivals have also claimed that the BJP's decision to field heavyweights shows that it is on the backfoot in these polls.

Congress's Randeep Singh Surjewala has said that Mr Chouhan is sure of the BJP's defeat and wants to ensure that the political idenity of his rivals in the party is wiped out.

"A Chief Minister, 7 MPs including three Union Ministers, one national general secretary, but still they won't be able to hold on to power," he said.