Trouble brewing for JJP turncoats in Tohana and Uklana
Trouble is mounting for JJP turncoats Devender Babli and Anoop Dhanak, who served as minister in the BJP government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar, as the BJP local units are up against them in their respective constituencies.
The BJP has fielded Babli from Tohana segment in Fatehabad district and Anoop Dhanak from Uklana (reserved) in Hisar district after they joined the party a couple of days ago. However, they ran into trouble due to the opposition by BJP’s local leaders who alleged neglect of the local and loyal candidates by the party.
Babli who served as Development and Panchayat Minister in the Khattar government had joined the party reportedly at the instance of higher political leadership. However, in Tohana, former BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, who is bête noire of Babli, stayed away from the event of filing of nomination papers by Babli in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
In view of the rivalry and tussle between Barala and Babli, it’s unlikely that Barala will campaign for him. Babli had supported Congress candidate from Sirsa Kumari Selja in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He had even applied for the Congress ticket as well, but was denied.
Babli had come in confrontation with sarpanches during the Khattar government on the issue of powers to the Panchayati Raj Institutions. As he targeted the sarpanches terming some of them as corrupt, the sarpanches launched a tirade against him and even warned the Congress against giving ticket to him.
Similarly, Dhanak, who was Minister of State in the Khattar ministry was immediately re-nominated by the BJP after he joined the party in Jind. Dhanak was known as a loyalist of former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. But when he stayed away from the Lok Sabha campaign for the JJP, it was evident that he would be leaving the party sooner or later.
BJP leaders in the Uklana Assembly segment were taken by surprise when the party nominated him. “We will campaign against him in all villages. There are a number of local leaders who have been working to strengthen the party for a long time. Injustice has been done to all the ticket aspirants,” said a number of party workers in Uklana.
Notably, Dhanak had won the 2014 Assembly election as INLD candidate and later joined the JJP in 2018. He also managed to win the 2019 poll on the JJP ticket.
