Bihar BJP chief summoned to Delhi to meet high command

PATNA - An adamant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bihar unit president C.P. Thakur Saturday refused to withdraw his resignation over the distribution of tickets for the assembly polls. He has been summoned to New Delhi to meet the party high command.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari has called him to New Delhi to clear his position, party sources here said. “Thakur was called by the BJP high command to New Delhi to sort out the issue,” a BJP leader close to Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

Thakur has decided not to take part in campaigning for the elections to the state assembly as well, according to a BJP leader close to him. Thakur resigned from the party post after his son, Vivek, was denied a poll ticket.

“Thakur will hold a meeting with his supporters Saturday to decide the final course of action. So far, he is not ready to withdraw his resignation,” the BJP leader said.

Thakur felt humiliated by the way he was ignored in the decision-making process of the ticket distribution, the party leader said.

Besides Thakur, another senior state BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Choubey, also resigned from the party core committee Friday night, angry over ticket distribution.

Thakur told reporters here Friday that he has sent his resignation to Nitin Gadkari.

“I have resigned from the party post for several reasons, including my being ignored and neglected by the party leadership,” Thakur said.

Thakur’s son Vivek was denied ticket for the Bankipur constituency in Patna.

Bihar will elect a 243-member assembly in staggered polling that begins Oct 21 and ends Nov 20. The results will be known Nov 24.