Revolt in Jhajjar BJP, ex-spokesman resigns over ticket snub

The BJP suffered a setback in the district with its former state spokesman Dr Rakesh Kumar quitting the party as a protest against the ticket allotment.

He had unsuccessfully contested previous assembly polls from Jhajjar (reserve) and was vying for the party ticket this time too, but the BJP has fielded Kaptan Singh Birdhana, chairman of Zila Parishad, from Jhajjar.

Sources said some other local leaders, including Kaptan Singh, also tried to persuade Rakesh not to quit the party but he didnot budge.

“I have been working to strengthen the party cadre in Jhajjar ever since previous assembly polls but the party leadership completely ignored my candidature from Jhajjar by fielding another candidate from here. I am pained by the party’s decision hence resigned from its primary membership,” Rakesh told The Tribune.

Rakesh, a doctor-turned-politician, faced a debacle at the hand of former education minister and three-time MLA Geeta Bhukkal by a margin of 14999 votes in 2019 assembly elections. However, he managed to secure 11,303 more votes than the party candidate got in the 2014 elections.

“I have been associated with the RSS and the BJP from the beginning and have worked there with full dedication and honesty, hence I will neither contest the election nor join any other party,” said Rakesh.