Date:01/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/01/stories/2008110153620400.htm

New Delhi

High drama at BJP poll meet venue

Staff Reporter

Angry partymen manhandle Delhi unit president Harsh Vardhan

- Photo: V. Sudershan

Angry and unhappy: Supporters of ticket-seekers staging a protest against manner of selection of candidates outside the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: High drama preceded the start of the Election Committee meeting of the Delhi BJP at its Pandit Pant Marg headquarters on Friday as party unit president Harsh Vardhan was jostled and pushed by angry party workers who were protesting against the manner in which the selection of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections was being done.

There was anger among the workers as senior party leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, chief ministerial candidate V.K. Malhotra, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi and Dr. Vardhan had decided on most of the names without taking the Election Committee into confidence.

As a result, there was resentment among the workers who were aspiring for tickets but feared that handpicked aspirants would get the nod ahead of them or their leaders.

The Election Committee meeting lasted for nearly four hours and according to sources about 55 names were finalised in it. Thereafter senior party leaders went to BJP national headquarters on Ashok Road where the Central Election Committee met to discuss Delhi among other States.

Prof. Malhotra said here that the first list of candidates would only be announced on Saturday. Party sources insisted that the announcement was being deferred to keep angry party workers at bay till the time the candidates for all the other States were decided and announced.