New Delhi: Following the release of the first list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections, many BJP leaders are said to be miffed with top leadership for being sidelined. Many disgruntled MLAs and former ministers tendered their resignation after the party issued the first list of 67 candidates for the polls on Wednesday.
State’s power minister Ranjit Singh Chautala is the latest to quit the BJP. Chautala is said to be angry with the party over not getting a ticket for the upcoming polls. He was seeking to contest the polls from from Rania constituency in Hisar. Chautala had earlier warned that he will quit the BJP and contest as an Independent, if he is not given ticket from Rania. Ranjit successfully contested the previous state polls as an Independent candidate from Rania constituency. Later he joined the BJP. He tried his luck from Hisar in this Lok Sabha election but lost.
Rania turned rebel when Congress did not give him ticket
Ranjit Singh Chautala won from Rania seat in the 2019 Assembly elections. He contested the state polls as an Independent candidate. Earlier, Ranjit had to face defeat twice on a Congress ticket from Rania seat in 2009 and 2014. In 2019, when Congress did not give him a ticket, he rebelled and contested as an Independent candidate and won.
How will BJP persuade disgruntled leaders?
The BJP is in a wait and watch mode amid a string of resignations of its leaders in Haryana. According to sources, the party will wait for 1-2 days and see the next move of the sulking leaders. The BJP hopes that many angry leaders will not remain miffed with it for a longer period of time in view of the party’s big objective of returning to power for the third time. Local leaders of BJP will be tasked to convince the leaders whose resentment remains.
Long list of those who resigned
After the ticket distribution, there is a long list of leaders who resigned from the BJP, which includes names ranging from OBC Morcha state president and former minister Karnadev Kamboj to Ratia MLA Laxman Napa. The duo is said to be upset over not being fielded by the party as its candidates in the Assembly polls in Haryana, slated to be held on October 5.
- Dadri Kisan Morcha district president Vikas
- Ratia BJP MLA Laxman Napa
- Sonipat BJP youth state executive member and Assembly election in-charge Amit Jain
- Senior party leader Shamsher Gill
- Haryana BJP Kisan Morcha state president Sukhwinder Mandi
- Hisar BJP leader Darshan Giri Maharaj
- BJP senior leader Seema Gaibipur