Letter stalls BJP’s second list

The state panels concerned assist the CEC in finalising names. The Rajasthan committee comprises general secretary in-charge Pramod Mahajan, Agrawal, chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje, Opposition leader Gulab Chand Kataria and state party general secretary Prakash Chandra.

Agrawal, according to sources, has dashed off a letter to party president M. Venkaiah Naidu, expressing his dissatisfaction over the way tickets were being distributed. Agrawal, who has been the Rajasthan BJP president for two terms, sought to disassociate himself from the exercise and left for Jaipur.

The CEC may meet tomorrow after senior leaders review the situation created after Agrawal’s exit. The Rajasthan leader has no immediate plans to return to the Capital. He is scheduled to leave for Mumbai tomorrow.

When reached for comments, Agrawal refused to speak on the issue. BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: ‘‘It is true that the meeting was cancelled, but I suppose it was due to some pressing engagement of the Prime Minister.’’ As for the business before the CEC, he conceded that ‘‘the next Rajasthan list was on the agenda’’.

Sources say Agrawal wants to contest either from Jaipur or Alwar. The high command is wary because he apparently harbours ambitions to become the CM. At a time when the leadership has just about managed to get two senior leaders with similar ambitions — former deputy chief minister Hari Shankar Bhabhra and former PWD minister Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi — fall in line, it is obviously not willing to let a third one pop up.

If Agrawal’s letter has spelt trouble in Rajasthan, another letter has averted one in MP. This one is from party’s chief ministerial candidate Uma Bharti to Union Sports Minister Vikram Verma. Sources say Bharati had a heated exchange with Verma last week. ‘‘Aapke deemag mein kachra bhara hai (your brain is filled with garbage),’’ she said. She, however, took back her words in the letter.