Bhopal: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) excluded former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior party leader Uma Bharti from the guest list for the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, which was officially launched by party chief JP Nadda today. The 64-year-old leader speculated, “Maybe they (the BJP leaders) are concerned that my presence would divert all the public attention towards me.”
Uma Bharti, known for her influential role in helping the BJP secure a substantial majority government in 2003, expressed her dismay at not receiving an invitation, as She said “Even though I wouldn’t have attended, I was deserving of an invitation. I still intend to campaign for the BJP and rally support for the party in upcoming elections.” She was once closely associated with senior party leader LK Advani.
As of now, the BJP has refrained from making any statements regarding her absence from the event. However, the Opposition Congress in the state has interpreted this move as a clear indication of sidelining Ms. Bharti, a prominent leader known for her involvement in the Ram Temple movement, which played a pivotal role in bringing the BJP into the national spotlight.
Randeep Surjewala, a Congress leader who was present in Bhopal today, criticized the BJP, claiming that the party “disrespects its own leaders.” He pointed out that the BJP had previously sidelined leaders such as former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and retired Murli Manohar Joshi. Surjewala emphasized the importance of respecting elders in Indian culture, stating that even God does not forgive those who fail to do so.
In a notable political history, Uma Bharti had led the BJP to a resounding victory in 2003, ending the Congress government’s rule in Madhya Pradesh led by Digvijaya Singh. However, in 2005, she was expelled from the party due to indiscipline, only to be reinstated in 2011.
In 2013, Uma Bharti was appointed one of the 13 vice-presidents to guide the party through the Lok Sabha elections. During this period, she disagreed with party colleague Yashwant Sinha’s suggestion to declare Narendra Modi as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate solely based on his immense popularity. She also seen arguing in an interview that popularity alone should not determine the prime ministerial candidate, highlighting that several leaders with lesser mass appeal could be equally efficient as Prime Minister.