Leaders protest Meham ticket to ‘outsider’, quit

Several local leaders of the BJP resigned from the party on Thursday in protest against the allotment of ticket to kabaddi player Deepak Niwas Hooda, a recent entrant to the party.

Deepak Hooda, a former captain of the Indian kabaddi team and husband of international boxer Sweety Boora, has been fielded by the ruling party from the Meham constituency. Deepak joined the BJP a few months ago. He was earlier considered close to Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He is also facing opposition in the Meham constituency due to the tag of ‘outsider’ as he belongs to Chamaria village, which falls in the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi Assembly segment. Meanwhile, prominent local leader Shamsher Kharkara, who had contested the 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections from Meham on the BJP ticket, has called a meeting of his workers and supporters on September 7 to chalk out a plan of action.

Kharkara was seeking the BJP ticket from Meham for his wife Radha Ahlawat, who had even started campaigning in anticipation of getting the ticket. As per local sources, Radha may join some other party, or contest as an Independent from Meham. “I have been facing resentment from local workers since last night. We will take a final decision in this regard after the meeting,” Kharkara told reporters at Meham today.

He denied reports that he had resigned from the BJP. Nonetheless, several local workers of the BJP stated that the decision to allocate the ticket to Deepak Hooda was wrong as he was an outsider and had joined the party recently.

The leaders who have resigned include BJP SC Morcha district vice-president and Assembly convener Fateh Singh, Meham Block Development Committee chairman Navneet Rathi, BJP’s Bahu Akbarpur mandal president Harender Mokhra, BJP Kisan Morcha Meham mandal president Vikas Siwach, BJP Meham Mandal president and former sarpanch Rohtash and general secretary Rakesh Kumar and BJP’s Lakhan Majra mandal president Naveen Uppal.

On the other hand, former minister Krishan Murti Hooda, who was in the fray for the BJP ticket from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency, has expressed disappointment over the denial of ticket. Hooda has called a meeting of his supporters to decide the future course of action. He claimed that he had got offers from the JJP and the INLD.

Ex-minister cries foul

I feel disappointed as I have been going door-to-door in the constituency for more than four years. — Krishan Murti Hooda, former minister & ticket aspirant from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi