Bhopal: The BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, flagged off by party chief JP Nadda today, was conspicuous with the absence its firebrand leader from Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharati.
Bharati, who was a close associate of BJP veteran LK Advani, was reportedly not invited to the rally, NDTV reported.
The former chief minister of the state responded that the BJP leadership might be nervous of her presence as public attention would be shifted on her.
‘May be they (the BJP leaders) are nervous that if I'm there, then entire public attention will be on me,’ she was quoted as saying.
The 64-year-old also said ‘If Jyotiraditya Scindia helped them form the government (in 2020), even I helped them form a bigger majority government (in 2003).’
Describing herself worthy of being invited to the launch of the yatra, she said she would not go there all the same.
‘ But I'll still campaign for the BJP and solicit votes for the party in the coming polls,’ she reportedly said.
The BJP leadership has not yet responded to her riveting reaction.
The state's Opposition Congress said BJP veteran leader from Ram Temple movement has been sidelined.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala attacked the BJP leadership saying the party ‘ insults its leaders’, adding that it sidelined LK Advani and Muli Manohar Joshi.
‘In our culture, even God does not forgive the one who does not respect elders,’ he reportedly said in Bhopal.
Uma Bharti led the saffron party to end the Digvijaya Singh administration of the Congress in 2003; however she was expelled from the BJP in 2005 over indiscipline and was taken back in 2011.