After being denied tickets for the October 5 Assembly elections in Haryana, several BJP officials, including two ministers, one legislator, a former minister, and a party leader, announced their resignations on Thursday, a day after the state’s ruling party announced its first list. 67 candidates.
Ministers in the Nayab Singh Saini-led government who resigned include Energy Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, and Minister of State for Social Justice Bishamber Singh Balmiki.
Chautala, who contested the 2019 Assembly elections as an Independent but was later inducted into the Cabinet, announced his decision to step down as a Minister as well as a senior member of the BJP after meeting his supporters in Rania.
Addressing his supporters, Chautala said that being the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, he cannot compromise under any circumstances.
“I will participate in the election as an Independent candidate from Rania. BJP offered me a ticket from Dabwali, but I rejected the proposal. I resigned from the Cabinet and the main members of the party,” he said.
In the 2019 elections, Chautala contested as an Independent candidate after the Congress denied him the ticket. During the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, he joined the BJP after resigning as an MLA. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Hisar but lost to Jai Parkash of the Congress.
In Ratia, the party gave ticket to former Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Duggal was denied re-nomination from Sirsa where former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar was fielded by the BJP. However, Tanwar lost to Congress veteran Kumari Selja.
Joining the rebel league, sitting BJP legislator from Ratia (SC), Lakshman Dass Napa, quit all positions in the party after being denied a ticket. He later joined the Congress after meeting former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The BJP on Wednesday released the first list of 67 candidates, which elected Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa in Kurukshetra district. Saini, who replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister in March this year, is currently the MLA from Karnal.
Meanwhile, BJP’s main OBC leader Karan Dev Kamboj, who was denied a ticket from Indri, also resigned from all party posts on Thursday.
“My family and I have been part of the BJP since the Jan Sangh days. I have worked with dedication, but now the party has adopted the Congress culture,” Kamboj told the media.
Without mincing words, he said the Congress will form the next government while “BJP’s dream will be just a dream”.
Furious over rejection of nomination from Sonipat, former minister Kavita Jain broke down in tears during a meeting with her supporters, giving the party an ultimatum to replace candidate Nikhil Madan within three days.
Jain also claimed that he was cheated after senior party leaders assured him of tickets.
In Safidon in Jind district, former MLA Bachan Singh Arya resigned after JJP rebel Ram Kumar Gautam was ousted from the seat. Arya will now contest to be Mandiri. Gautam had joined the BJP earlier this week. Interestingly, Sunil Sangwan, the prison officer who granted parole for Ram Rahim’s six-time rape before resigning from his post, has been given a BJP ticket, raising questions about the party’s stance on women’s safety.
Meanwhile, former minister Savitri Jindal’s supporter, mother of BJP MP Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal, met her at her residence in Hisar on Thursday and urged her to contest as an Independent after the BJP retained Health Minister Kamal Gupta as its candidate in Hisar.
Savitri Jindal and her son Naveen Jindal have joined the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. He is seeking BJP ticket from Hisar.
Former minister Krishan Murti Hooda also called a meeting of supporters after the BJP elected Zilla Parishad Chairman Manju Hooda from Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi against former Chief Minister Bhupinder SIngh Hooda.
Murti will soon take a call on whether to stay with the BJP.
The 90-member Haryana Assembly will vote on October 5, the results of which will be announced on October 8.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from the feed of syndicated news agency – IANS)