BJP youth wing demands seats for ministers’ kin

Mumbai: BJP’s youth wing has demanded that it be given a few seats in the upcoming BMC polls scheduled for February 21 However the fact that nearly half a dozen names belong to sons of ministers, MLAs and even members of Parliament has raised quite a few eyebrows within the party.

In the letter sent by BJP youth wing president, Mohit Kamboj, to the party’s Mumbai president, the names mentioned include Akash Purohit, son of Colaba MLA and former Mumbai BJP president Raj Purohit; Neil Somaiya, son of member of parliament Kirit Somaiya; and Deepak Thakur, son of minister Vidya Thakur. Many other names which are not part of this list but still doing the rounds include Rajneet Singh son of BJP MLA Sardar Tara Singh among others.

A senior leader from the party said, “This has never happened. Firstly, wings of the party never demand seats and secondly, most of those being accomodated are kin of    MLAs, MPs or ministers. Where are the party workers supposed to go now?”

Mr Kamboj however denied that the names formed part of the list because of candidates’ family background. “Akash, Deepak and Neil all are existing leaders of the party and are handling important portfolios based on the work that they have done for the party. They have almost seven to eight years’ experience in the party,” he said. Another leader claimed that such things were not encouraged within the BJP, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said no to kin or relatives of party members.