BHILWARA,  Dissidence within the Bharatiya Janata Party has intensified in Bhilwara ahead of the Rajasthan civic elections, with around 70 party workers and office-bearers submitting their resignations in protest against the ticket distribution process.

The resignations came before the BJP released its official list of candidates for the civic polls. The workers alleged that party members who had worked at the grassroots level for years were being ignored while tickets were being considered for people with limited organizational or booth-level involvement.

“Why Give Tickets to Those Who Never Worked at the Booth?”

Dhanpat Singh Chandalia, Shakti Kendra president and convenor for Ward 20, questioned the process, alleging that the name of a prospective candidate from his ward had emerged despite the person having little or no booth-level involvement.

Chandalia said grassroots workers who had consistently worked for the party were naturally upset if candidates without a strong organizational record were given preference.

He further claimed that the prospective candidate had called him and said he had been summoned to the party office regarding the ticket. Chandalia alleged that decisions on some candidates were being taken even before the official list was announced.

He urged the party leadership to assess the organizational contribution and grassroots support of each prospective candidate before finalizing the list.

Two-Decade-Old Party Worker Also Quits

The scale of dissatisfaction was reflected in the resignation of an active BJP worker who had reportedly worked for the party for nearly 20 years. The worker submitted his resignation to the Pratap Mandal president, alleging that people unfamiliar with the party's district office were being contacted directly for tickets.

Party workers said those who had stood by the BJP during difficult periods were being sidelined in the ticket race, fueling resentment among the grassroots cadre.

Women Leaders Had Earlier Protested

This is not the first instance of dissent within the Bhilwara BJP over ticket distribution. Earlier, several women leaders had staged a protest outside the district BJP office before the official candidate list was released.

Former councillor Rekha Puri and other women office-bearers had accused party leaders of favoring preferred candidates while overlooking long-standing and dedicated workers.

With civic elections approaching, the growing internal dissent has emerged as a challenge for the BJP leadership in Bhilwara as it works to manage discontent over candidate selection.