DEHRADUN: As part of its ongoing drive to woo prominent leaders of other parties, the BJP has succeeded in bringing three-time Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Haridas from Jhabrera assembly constituency in Haridwar parliamentary constituency into its party fold.
The BJP has managed to rope in several influential leaders. A significant number of Congress besides few Aam Aadmi Party members have recently crossed over to the BJP camp.
The BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat for the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat, replacing the incumbent MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
In order to avoid potential backlash from Nishank’s supporters and to ensure a smooth campaign for Trivendra, the BJP seems hesitant to take any risks in the upcoming elections in Haridwar.
Since the inception of Uttarakhand, the BSP has maintained a solid voter base in the Haridwar and Roorkee region. The recent induction of Haridas into BJP is being seen as a strategic move to potentially sway BSP’s established support towards the BJP, marking a significant development in the political landscape of the region.
“With senior leader Haridas joining the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got support from all religions, castes, regions and Devbhoomi,” BJP state president Mahender Bhatt said.
BSP state president Chaudhary Shishpal said, “Haridas was not in BSP, he was already expelled from the party”. On the other hand, the Congress party finalised its candidates for the constituencies of Haridwar and Nainital. The decision to award a ticket to Harish Rawat’s son, Virendra, has stirred up controversy for the veteran politician.