Rajasthan: BJP leaders boycott civic polls in town

BJP candidates from all 20 wards in Nagaur’s Kuchera municipality in Rajasthan have decided to boycott the upcoming civic body polls as they are angry with their party’s state unit for not sacking a local cop who had insulted one of their leaders. Though the BJP had given tickets to leaders, no candidate filed nominations. While the town is said to be a Congress stronghold the BJP boycott is expected to give the Congress a walkover.

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The seeds of revolt in the BJP were sown last month when a Station House Officer in Kuchera allegedly misbehaved with a BJP-nominated councillor, Babulal, after a case was filed against the latter. Party workers in Kuchera say they informed the top BJP leadership, expecting an intervention from Jaipur. But it never happened, despite the BJP members staging a dharna. “When the party does not care about us, why should we bother? So we decided against contesting from Kuchera entirely,” said BJP block president in Kuchera.