CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party may face a tough time to settle resentment brewing within the party and the Independent lawmakers supporting it’s government in Haryana for the Lok Sabha polls as the party wants to retain all the ten parliamentary seats from the state.
Of the seven Independent lawmakers, six supported the government on the floor test which it won March 13 after snapping alliance with JJP.
Sources pointed out that there is strong resentment among the six independent MLAs supporting the saffron party as only one Independent MLA from Rania assembly segment Ranjit Singh Chautala was made state cabinet minister in Nayab Singh Saini cabinet. Later he joined the saffron party and was given a ticket from Hisar parliamentary constituency.
Former chief minister Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi and his MLA son Bhavya Bishnoi have expressed their grouse of “being ignored” despite joining the BJP in 2022. Sources said their resentment might effect the party’s chances to win the Hisar seat. The family had been winning the Adampur assembly segment in Hisar Lok Sabha seat since 1968 and has an influence on non-Jat voters across the state.
Late CM Bhajan Lal had been MP from Hisar besides Faridabad and Karnal. Now former CM Mnaohar Lal Khattar has been fielded from Karnal. Both Kuldeep and Bhavya had expressed their dissatisfaction on social media over party’s choice of candidate for the Hisar Lok Sabha seat as the family was expected one Lok Sabah ticket and cabinet berth, sources said.
Turncoats
Moreover, it is being learnt that the party cadres are unhappy with the high command of giving tickets to turncoats in these polls. Sources pointed out that Rao Inderjit Singh, the sitting MP from Gurugram, has shown his displeasure as the party’s lawmakers close to him from southern Haryana were not included in the recent cabinet expansion and party included one of his bete noires in the cabinet.
Already the party is in a dilemma as former state home minister Anil Vij, the most powerful and best-known ministers of Kattar government was not inducted in the new cabinet .Vij was upset after Saini was picked to replace Khattar as CM, as the senior most minister in Khattar cabinet, he was expecting the top slot .
‘Independents unhappy’
According to sources, of the seven Independents who extended support to Nyab Singh Saini-led BJP government in the state recently, one one Independent–Ranjit Singh Chautala–from Rania Assembly segment, got a cabinet berth and ticket for Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, BJP cadre has expressed displeasure over turncoats getting party ticket. Senior BJP leader and prominent face of Manohar Lal Khattar-led government, Anil Vij, is unhappy with BJP’s choice of chosing Saini as Khattar’s replacement.