The central BJP leadership has not yet declared its candidate from Ranchi parliamentary constituency, one of the most prestigious seat of the 14 from Jharkhand.

Poll pundits claim that the BJP decision-makers are not too easy about the sitting MP, Ramtahal Choudhary, who is being truculent as the party is likely to deny him a ticket for this polls. Choudhary, 77, is a five-time MP with considerable hold over the Kurmi community.

It seems the BJP central leadership wants to drop Choudhary owing to the age factor. This time, from national leaders such as L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, to regional stalwarts such as eight-time parliamentarian Karia Munda of Khunti inJharkhand, and former cabinet minister Kalraj Mishra from Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has denied Lok Sabha tickets to its veterans.

Choudhary, keen to contest from Ranchi, is defiant. Earlier this week, he told this paper that he felt fit and fine and “raring to go”.

“If I don’t get a ticket from the party, I will contest as an Independent,” Choudhary, a BJP veteran from Jan Sangh days, warned. He has also been dropping broad hints that his being sidelined by the BJP would not go down well with the “over 5 lakh persons” of his community (Kurmis) in Ranchi, alluding that the BJP would lose those votes if he did not get the ticket. Born in Ormanjhi, Ranchi, Choudhary has repeatedly drawn attention to his “spotless record” as a lawmaker.

Choudhary unsuccessfully tried to negotiate the Ranchi ticket for his son Randhir, also a BJP member.

It is believed that chief minister Raghubar Das favours the party’s state vice-president Aditya Sahu, a Vaishya, for the Ranchi seat. Sahu, who started his political career as a protégée of Choudhary, has the backing of the RSS also.

But at a time the Congress is set field former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, not many are convinced about Sahu’s electoral pull. “Out of the 14 parliamentary seats, Ranchi is a very prestigious seat for the BJP that we can’t afford to lose. Initially we mulled fielding a celebrity heavyweight if Sahu doesn’t fit in our strategy. But in any case we have to neutralise Choudhary as an electoral force,” confided another party leader.

Five days ago, the BJP parliamentary board released its list of 10 candidates and kept the decision of Ranchi, Chatra and Koderma — on hold.