Didn't have 'even 1% desire' to contest polls: BJP's Vijayvargiya

Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has said he is finding it hard to believe that the party decided to make him a candidate in the coming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

Opposition Congress, however, took a jibe at him, saying that his situation was akin to that of a 'police station in-charge becoming constable'.

“I still cannot believe that I am a candidate. I am telling you the truth. I do not feel that I have got an election ticket and become a candidate," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said, speaking before a gathering of party workers here on Tuesday night.

In the second list of candidates announced by the ruling BJP this week, Vijayvargiya was nominated from Indore-1 assembly constituency, his home turf, currently represented by Congress MLA Sanjay Shukla. The BJP has so far announced candidates for 79 out of 230 seats.

He did not have even "one percent desire" to contest the elections, the BJP leader said.

On a lighter note, Vijayvargiya said he was under the impression that he would have to go to different places to give speeches during the campaign as he had become a "big leader".

Before his candidature was declared, it was planned that he would speak at election meetings at eight places every day, he said, adding that he was to reach five places by helicopter and drive to the remaining three.

“...but what you think does not happen. Whatever God wishes, happens. It was God's wish that I should contest election and once again go among the public,” he said.

The Congress, meanwhile, mocked him for repeatedly expressing surprise over his candidature.

“It seems that due to the internal strife among top BJP leaders, Vijayvargiya has been pushed into the electoral battle against his wishes. Making a senior leader like him a candidate in assembly elections is like demoting an in-charge of a police station to constable,” state Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla said.

Incidentally, the BJP has not yet announced candidate for the Indore-3 constituency, currently represented by Vijayvargiya's son Akash.

Kailash Vijayvargiya had not contested the 2018 assembly elections.