Haryana Assembly polls: BJP faces major revolt after candidate list release

A day after the BJP released its first list of 67 candidates for the Oct 5 Haryana Assembly elections, a major rebellion erupted in the party with several prominent leaders quitting the party in protest against the tickets to the political turncoats at the cost of ignoring the party loyalists.

State Minister of Energy and Jails Ranjit Singh, Ratia MLA Laxman Napa and former minister and OBC Morcha chief Karan Dev Kamboj resigned from the party hours after the BJP issued list of candidates.

Napa, who was seeking re-nomination from Ratia constituency joined the Congress on Sep 5 evening after BJP announced candidature to Sunita Duggal,former member parliament.

Former minister Kavita Jain and her husband Rajiv Jain, state vice president BJP strongly opposed the ticket to turncoat Nikhil Madan from Sonepat. The couple has served a two-day ultimatum on the party high command to reconsider its decision.

Nomination of at least 10 turncoats, including three former JJP MLAs, who recently joined BJP have irked the party ticket aspirants and their supporters. The turncoats include former minister Venod Sharma’s wife Shakti Rani Sharma.

Singh, son of former Deputy Prime Minister late Devi Lal, announced he would contest only from Rania constituency, either as an Independent candidate or from some other party.

Having represented the seat as an Independent in 2019 assembly polls, Singh recently joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Hisar.

“I was offered the Dabwali seat, but I declined,” he said. Kamboj, OBC Morcha chief who was eyeing the ticket from Indri or Radaur constituency alleged that the BJP had backtracked from its ideology.

“The BJP has backtracked from the path shown by its founders Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The BJP is rewarding traitors who have been switching loyalties for personal gains. BJP is ignoring the party loyalists,” said Kamboj.

In Hisar, former Haryana minister Savitri Jindal, the mother of BJP’s Kurukshetra Member Parliament Naveen Jindal announced her candidature from Hisar following denial of ticket by the BJP.

Hisar Mayor Gautam Sardana too is reportedly unhappy over the re-nomination of Minister Kamal Gupta from the constituency.

Senior leader Shamsher Kharkara, a strong contender from Meham constituency in Rohtak district, quit the BJP after the party preferred kabaddi player Deepak Hooda over him.

Prominent Dalit leaders Shamsher Gill and Seema Gabipur resigned after the party fielded JJP ex-MLA Anoop Dhanak from Uklana.

Former minister Bachan Singh Arya has also expressed dissatisfaction at BJP’s decision to offer ticket to former JJP MLA from Narnaund Ram Kumar Gautam from Safidon constituency.

Arya is exploring options to garner support and fight as an Independent candidate from Safidon. Senior leader Jai Bhagwan Sharma may contest as an independent candidate from Thanesar from where the BJP has again shown confidence in state minister Subhadh Sudha.

The nomination of Tek Chand Sharma from Prithla assembly segment is opposed by sitting Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat, who had supported the BJP government for five years and expected ticket from the party.

Seeking to downplay the rebellion, BJP’s Haryana Assembly poll co-incharge Biplab Deb claimed the candidate list was framed keeping in view the changing socio-political scenario in the state and it represented all sections.

The polling for the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on the Oct 5, and the counting of votes will take place on the Oct 8.