Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Uma Bharti has hit the headlines after making a remark that she never tells people belonging to Lodhi community, which is the core vote bank of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to vote for the BJP.
Bharti made the above remark while addressing a program Yuvak-Yuvati Parichay Sammelan organised at Manas Bhawan in the state capital, Bhopal on December 25. Nonetheless, a purported video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
Addressing the people belonging to the Lodhi Community, she said, "I will come on the stage of my party, I will ask for the votes of the people, I never say that you are Lodhi, you vote for BJP. I tell everyone to vote for BJP as I am a loyal soldier of my party. I would not expect a bit from you (Lodhi community) that you will be a loyal soldier of the party."
"You (Lodhi community) have to see the interests around you because if you are not a party worker then you have to decide about yourself only after seeing all the things. We are bound in the bond of love, but in political bond, you are completely free from my side," Bharti added.
During the program, BJP MLA Pradyuman Singh Lodhi and Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel's brother BJP MLA Jalam Singh Patel were also present on the stage. Notably, Lodhi community has been the core vote of the BJP for a long time, but for the last few days, the leaders of Lodhi community were running away from the BJP. Since the expulsion of Lodhi leader Pritam Lodhi from the party, many Lodhi leaders are angry with BJP.
There are about 65 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh where the Lodhi community vote plays a decisive role in election results. Most of the seats in Bundelkhand, Gwalior Chambal division are dominated by the Lodhi community. Besides, Lodhi voters play a decisive role in 13 Lok Sabha seats out of 29, including Balaghat, Sagar, Khajuraho, Damoh, Vidisha and Hoshangabad.
On the other hand, reacting to Uma Bharti's remark Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said, "Uma Bharti's remarks show how deeply she is being neglected by the BJP. The core workers of the party are being neglected due to the people who have been brought into BJP by horse trading. It also shows the internal conditions of the BJP."
"The people of the state have sympathy with Uma Bharti. She has her own contribution. If the BJP tries to crush that contribution then they will have to face its consequences in upcoming 2023 assembly polls in the state," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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