Mathura Lok Sabha ticket: BJP workers oppose Hema Malini

New Delhi, March 15: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Mathura Hema Malini is facing strong opposition from many party workers, who have been demanding the senior leadership not to field the cine star from Mathura.

BJP workers' opposition has also reached up to the Central leadership via the party's internal surveys, say sources.

The BJP workers from Mathura allege that after winning the elections Hema Malini ignored her constituency and party workers.

She had received flak during 2016 Mathura violence in which 24 persons including two senior police officials were killed on June 2, 2016, in an armed conflict between police and squatters at Jawahar Bagh public park in Mathura city.

The violence erupted after police tried to vacate the park as per the court orders. The armed squatters, led by one Ram Vriksh Yadav, fired upon the police and killed two senior police officials. The police then returned fire, killing several squatters.

While the whole nation was watching the horrible scenes of violence on TV screens, Hema Malini tweeted some photographs of her shooting. This led to an uproar on the social media platform and the Congress accused the Mathura MP of being insensitive.

Reportedly Hema deleted the tweet after being admonished by senior party leadership. She later admitted on camera that she was not aware of the incident as she was busy in shooting.

She was also embroiled in another controversy in July 2015 when a two-year-old child was killed after being hit by her Mercedes car at Dausa in Rajasthan. She had got minor injuries. Later, she provoked fresh outrage when she tweeted to blame the father of the child who was killed in the accident last week. She said the father should have followed traffic rules.

While the father denied violating traffic rules, many on social media expressed anger on his behalf and criticised Hema Malini.

"Hema Malini is one of those BJP MPs who have got negative marks in the party's internal surveys, and may not get party ticket," said sources.

In 2014, she defeated incumbent Jayant Chaudhary of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) by an impressive margin of 3,30,743 votes.

Informed sources tell One India that UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma is interested in contesting Lok Sabha election from Mathura.