Denied ticket, Brijpal, wife leave Cong, join BSP

In a setback to the Congress, party leader Brijpal Chhappar and his wife Pinki Chhappar left the party today.

Pinki Chhappar had been making preparations to contest Assembly election on Congress ticket from the reserved Sadhaura Assembly segment for several years.

However, the Congress gave ticket to sitting MLA Renu Bala.

Pinki had contested the Assembly election of 2014 on INLD ticket from Sadhaura Assembly seat, but she was defeated by BJP leader Balwant Singh, who bagged 63,772 votes (38.74 per cent). Pinki stood second and got 49,626 votes (30.15 per cent).

Later, Pinki and her husband Brijpal left INLD and joined the Congress.

Soon after leaving the Congress today, Brijpal and his wife Pinki joined BSP in the presence of Randhir Singh Beniwal, chief coordinator of BSP, Haryana, and Dharam Pal Tigra, state president of the BSP, in a programme held at Brijpal’s residence in Chhappar village today.

The INLD-BSP alliance announced Brijpal as its candidate from Sadhaura Assembly constituency.

“We worked hard for the Congress for years, but we were treated unfairly by being denied party ticket. Therefore, we have left the Congress and joined BSP today,” said Brijpal.

Meanwhile, a member of the state executive of the BJP, Devender Chawla, also left the BJP today protesting against denial of party ticket.

Devender Chawla had contested Assembly election in 2009 on Congress ticket from Yamunanagar Assembly constituency. But he was defeated by INLD candidate Dilbag Singh who secured 46,984 votes (41.62 per cent). Devender Chawla bagged 33,411 votes (29.59 per cent).

“I am disappointed with the recent ticket distribution done for Yamunanagar Assembly constituency. Therefore I am resigning from all the posts of the BJP,” said Devender.

He said that he was yet to decide which political party he wanted to go to.