BJP faces trouble in ranks over Lucknow West bypoll nominee

The Assembly constituency went vacant after the sitting MLA Lalji Tandon won the parliamentary elections from Lucknow seat. Tandon reportedly wanted to field his son Ashutosh Tandon Gopal from this seat,but had to retreat after a section of party members protested.

Finally,on Friday evening,Puri’s name was announced. A firebrand leader,Puri is said to be close to BJP president Rajnath Singh and had earlier contested as an Independent candidate from Lucknow East Assembly constituency after being refused a party ticket. He has just returned to the party and now he has been fielded from Lucknow West.

The workers who resigned en masse alleged that Puri has nothing to do with the Lucknow West area and does not participate in any party programmes.

Munna Mishra,a corporator who submitted his resignation from the post of zonal president,said,“He is not from this Assembly seat. We will not support any outsider for this seat.”

State BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi said the party’s high command would take a decision on this.