New Delhi: On Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran leader and former party chief Murli Manohar Joshi said that he was asked not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The Lok Sabha MP's name has not been included in the list of candidates released by the party so far. The party has also not included his name in the list of 40 star campaigners for Uttar Pradesh, announced earlier today.
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Here it is to be noted that according to source report, Joshi's office confirmed the development, stating that BJP general secretary organisation) Ram Lal, a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) appointee, had conveyed Joshi the party leadership's decision. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the 85-year-old leader had vacated Varanasi seat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides Joshi, the BJP has also not fielded longest-serving chief LK Advani in the polls in line with its decision to not field many of its veterans. In this Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has decided not to nominate veteran leaders and give chance to young political aspirants.
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However, it is to be noted that the BJP has also not given tickets to several leaders who are over 80 years of age including BC Khanduri, Kariya Munda, Kalraj Mishra, Bijoya Chakravarty. The seven-phased Lok Sabha elections will be held from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will be done on May 23. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal cornered the BJP for sidelining the veteran leaders in the polls, saying "the way party humiliated the seniors, it was against the Indian culture."