Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Jaswant Singh,
who is upset over denial of ticket, on Sunday said he has decided to
contest the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent from Rajasthan's
Barmer and will file his nomination papers on Monday.
The 76-year-old leader, who currently represents
Darjeeling in Lok Sabha, was overlooked and replaced with former
Congressman Col Sonaram Choudhary, a new entrant.
Singh said he would consult his colleagues before taking any decision about resigning from the party.
"Yes, I am filing my nomination papers
tomorrow from Barmer. Independent or not, will depend on the party's
attitude," he told PTI when asked whether he would contest despite
denial of a ticket from his home constituency.
To a specific query about his resignation in the
wake of his 48-hour deadline to BJP, Singh said, "I will speak about
this after consulting my colleagues and others in Barmer and then take a
decision."
Singh said nobody in the BJP has tried to reach him ever since he set the deadline.
"If I am not emotional about my home and my
party, then what am I going to be emotional about... If the party
decides to talk to me, they know my numbers and how I can be reached.
Since I came here, nobody has tried to reach me," he said on Sunday,
putting the onus of preventing his exit on the party.
On BJP chief Rajnath Singh's remarks that his
services will be utilised appropriately, he said, "I am not a piece of
furniture. The choice of the adjective 'adjust' itself is indicative of
the mentality. You cannot adjust with principles and it is insulting".
Slamming the BJP president's remarks that the
party will compensate him after the elections, Singh said, "I reject the
thought and I reject the mentality behind it. Assumption is that they
shall form the government and offer me some throttle. They can keep it
for themselves".
He said the "thoughts behind these chain of words are full of arrogance and disrespect".
On posters of Narendra Modi
being torn up by Jaswant Singh's supporters in Rajasthan, the former
Union minister said, "If the posters are being torn up, then I think the
party has to reflect deeply why is this happening".
Singh said, "Throughout my political life I have
worked for the welfare of the party according to what situations demand.
I do not approve adjustment politics".
The senior BJP leader had on Saturday attacked
the party leadership for denying him a ticket and said one needs to
distinguish between the "real" and the "fake" BJP.
"We have to differentiate between the real and
fake BJP… One has to reflect on the principles the party stood for and
the direction in which it is being led now," he said.
"It is unfortunate the BJP has been taken over by elements who have never respected the party's ideology."
"It is unfortunate the BJP has been taken over by elements who have never respected the party's ideology."
He has been demanding a party ticket from his home constituency of Barmer, saying this is his last election.
He represented the Darjeeling constituency in the
outgoing Lok Sabha, from where the party has nominated former Rajya
Sabha member SS Ahluwalia.
Singh was a senior minister in the Atal Bihari
Vajpayee-led NDA government in which he held important portfolios of
external affairs, defence and finance.
Meanwhile, Manvendra Singh, Jaswant Singh's son,
who is currently an MLA in the Vasundhara Raje-led government in
Rajasthan, has also indicated that he might follow in his father's
footsteps.
According to reports, Manvendra will not attend the meet called by Raje.
Reports also said he has cited medical reasons and sought a month's leave from the party.
When contacted by PTI, Manvendra rejected reports he has written to the BJP about the current situation.
"I have not written to the party and I have informed the party that I am stressed out and need some rest," he said.
PTI Jodhpur, March 23, 2014