Elections 2014: No role of Baba Ramdev in party’s ticket distribution, clarifies BJP

Dehradun: BJP on Wednesday refuted media reports about Ramdev pitching for his own favourites to be fielded by the saffron party in the Lok Sabha polls, saying the yoga guru had nothing to do with party’s ticket distribution process.

“Baba Ramdev is a nationalist whose heart beats for the country. He has nothing to do with the ticket distribution process in the BJP,” party in-charge for Uttarakhand Radhamohan Singh told reporters here.

Terming such reports carried in a section of the media as absolutely unfounded, Singh who is also a party MP said the yoga guru never pitched for a BJP ticket to anyone.

Of late there were reports in a section of the media that Ramdev wanted some of his chosen favourites to be fielded by the party in the Lok Sabha polls.

To a question about senior party leader Bacchi Singh Rawat resigning from all party posts in protest against his name being dropped from a shortlist of probables for Nainital seat, Singh said he will soon be entrusted with the task of poll management in all five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state.

Singh said he had held a meeting with BJP nominees from the five Lok Sabha seats and was confident of a clean sweep by the party. “People are tired with the Congress and Modi wave is sweeping Uttarakhand as the rest of the country. We will wrest all the seats from the Congress this time,” he said.

Asked whether changing the Chief Minister in Uttarakhand could brighten the Congress’ polls prospects, Singh said mere promises and announcements will not do. “People are looking for concrete work on the ground. Ever since Harish Rawat took over as the new CM he has done nothing except making one announcement after another,” Singh, who represents the East Champaran seat in the Lok Sabha, said.