BJP Picks New Face Alok Sharma For Bhopal, Dropping Incumbent Controversial MP Pragya Singh Thakur (Photo on X Alok Sharma (Modi Ka Parivar) @Alok_SharmaBJP)

As the BJP announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the party has selected Alok Sharma in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal constituency. The party has this time denied the ticket for the incumbent MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur who had grabbed headlines several times for her controversial remarks. The name of Mr Sharma has reportedly been doing the round during the last two general elections.

Mr Sharma began his political career as a student leader with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP. At a very young age, he has been associated with the RSS. Raised from the grassroots politics, Mr Sharma has held several district and state-level positions. He was appointed as the state convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in 1997.

The Bhopal Lok Sabha seat has been one of the citadels of the saffron party since 1989 and the party hold significant influence among the voters. With the party picking a new face Mr Sharma for the Bhopal seat, it believes that the candidate can easily secure victory in its stronghold. The party has been fielding fresh faces for the past three consecutive terms from Bhopal seat.

Notably, Mr Sharma faced defeat when he was fielded in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly election. But the party trusts the 56-year-old Sharma’s experience and commitment to retaining the long-held seat.

During the assembly election campaign, he had arrested the public attention for his statement on Muslim voters. He had asked Muslims not to vote at all if they didn’t vote for the BJP while speaking at a convention. I want to tell the Muslim brothers of Jaora, because you will not vote, do not vote. But, you must know and wholeheartedly accept the fact that the house you are living in has been granted to you all under the Prime Minister”s Housing scheme. “Muslim brothers, if you don”t want to vote for BJP, then don”t. But I request you to not go for voting at all,” his remark stated. The Congress had then sought legal action against the remark.

However, after his name was announced for the Bhopal constituency, Mr Sharma was greeted at the state party office.