BJP leader says party will face heavy losses in Raebareli if he's not fielded again

BJP leader Ajay Agarwal, who lost to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Raebareli in 2014, has demanded the BJP ticket, telling Amit Shah Amit Shah that the party will face the wrath of the traders' community if he is not fielded again.

In a letter to the BJP president, he said he polled 1.73 lakh votes against Gandhi in 2014 without the support of state and central leaders.

"I request you to give me a chance to contest from Raebareli again and not to change the candidate here. In 2014, I secured 1.73 lakh votes against Sonia Gandhi and that too without any meeting of star campaigners, including Narendra Modi or any state or national-level BJP leader," the letter quoted Agarwal as saying.

"If the BJP does not give me the ticket, it will face heavy losses due to the anger of the Vaish community," he said.

Agarwal has also met senior BJP leaders to push his case.

In 2004, BJP candidate Girish Pandey polled 31,290 votes. In the 2006 by-election, Vinay Katiyar got 19,657 votes and R B Singh got 25,444 in 2009, he said.

"I got maximum votes for the BJP and made the party proud in Sonia's pocket borough," he said, adding there are 2.21 lakh Vaish voters in Raebareli alone.

In the entire state, Vaish account for over 9 per cent. As the party is considering changing the candidate from Raebareli, there is resentment in the community, he claimed.