Amidst announcements by some sitting BJP MPs and a couple of candidates not to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on March 4 took a jibe at the ruling party, saying that the "BJP was never so weak as a party".
In a post on X in Hindi, Mr. Yadav said, "Who would have thought that such days would come for the BJP that some candidates will give up their claim on the pretext of saying that some other work is more important before getting the ticket.
"Someone will talk about going out considering sports as more serious than politics. Someone will write an application to get out of the deciduous BJP on the pretext of environment," he said.
Mr. Yadav further said someone will announce his retirement after getting a ticket. And even after getting a ticket, someone will reject the ticket from a distance on social media due to personal reasons, he said.
He added, "BJP was never so weak as a party. Now apart from the public, even the BJP people themselves are saying, 'Don't want BJP'." Former Gujarat deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Patel on March 3 had said that he has withdrawn his claim to contest from Mehsana Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat.
Mr. Patel did not assign any reason for this decision, which he announced on social media, even as the BJP is yet to officially announce the contestant from Mehsana.
In a post on social media, Mr. Patel said he had staked a claim for Mehsana seat and requested the party to field him as its nominee.
He said he is withdrawing his claim before the BJP has come out with the name of the candidate for Mehsana seat.
BJP's Asansol candidate Pawan Singh also withdrew his candidature for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Singh withdrew his name on March 3, a day after the BJP named him as its candidate from the constituency currently represented by TMC's Shatrughan Sinha.
In a post on X, Mr. Singh thanked the BJP leadership for his candidature but added that he will not be able to contest from Asansol "due to some reason", even as he did not specify the reason behind his decision.
With the sitting MP Harsh Vardhan's name not figuring from his Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in the list of candidates announced by the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections, he on Sunday announced bowing out of active politics.
In a post on X, Mr. Vardhan said he will return to his roots after over 30 years of a "glorious electoral career".
Looking back at his journey, he said, "I shall continue to pursue my work against tobacco and substance abuse, against climate change and teaching simple and sustainable lifestyles." "After over thirty years of a glorious electoral career, during which I won all the five assembly and two parliamentary elections that I fought with exemplary margins, and held a multitude of prestigious positions in the party organisation and the governments at the state and centre I finally bow out to return to my roots," he said on X.
BJP's Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir too on March 2 requested party president JP Nadda to relieve him of political duties so that he can focus on his upcoming cricket commitments.
"I have requested Hon'ble party president J P Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi ji and Home Minister Amit Shah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!," Mr. Gambhir had said on X.
Former Minister and BJP MP from Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha on Saturday expressed desire not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying he wants to focus on combating climate change in India and around the world.
In a post on X, he said he has "requested" party president Nadda to relieve him of "direct electoral duties" so he can focus on "efforts on combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world".
"Of course, I will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues," he added.
