Chhatrapal Singh, who was caught taking Rs 15,000 in a sting operation to ask questions in the Rajya Sabha, has been given the BJP ticket to contest from Anupshahr in western UP.

Lashing out at the decision to rope in tainted leaders, firebrand BJP MP Yogi Adityanath warned the party would have to “face consequences if the trend continued”.

“Those who are corrupt in the Mayawati government cannot become honest after coming to the BJP. A corrupt man is corrupt anywhere,” the MP from Gorakhpur, said.

“Such people should neither be allowed to join the party nor be given ticket to contest elections,” he said and threatened he would not campaign for such candidates and rather would oppose them.

“I feel we are making the same mistake that we made in 1997 and the 2004 elections. In 1997, we had made criminal elements a part of the government. And in 2004, there was an attempt to include a criminal in the party. I think the same mistake is being repeated time and again,” he said.

BJP MP from Dharbhanga Kirti Azad also criticised the decision to induct Kushwaha, who is facing a CBI probe in the National Rural Health Mission scam, saying there was substance in the comments made by other parties. “If there is any mistake, the party will rectify it,” he said.

Senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi had expressed their ire over Kushwaha's induction in the Central Election Committee meeting yesterday,

Though RSS refrained from a direct comment, sources said it was not happy with the decision but would back BJP President Nitin Gadkari, who is its candidate, as this decision had his stamp of approval.

“Party leaders will decide who gets a ticket and who doesn't. They are the best judges whether a particular decision will help them electorally and also help them in the larger context of their image and reputation,” RSS leader Ram Madhav said.

Incidentally, RSS mouthpiece Panchajanya has dedicated two pages to how people of UP are fed up of the 'mafia-rule' in the state and want good governance.

BJP's NDA ally JD(U) is also not pleased with the decision. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he cannot accept the fact that after levelling charges against Kushwaha, the party accepted him.

“It is not not a healthy and appropriate precedent. In fact, BJP is also facing opposition within the party for the decision,” Kumar told reporters in Patna.

“I don't think that it is a right and appropriate decision taken by the BJP,” he said.

These are not the only candidates over whom there is unease in the BJP. Shakshi Maharaj, three-time BJP MP from Farrukhabad, who was jailed in Tihar and Etah in two cases of rape and sexual assault, will also contest the Assembly elections from Bhongaon.