JJP turncoats face oppn from BJP workers in Tohana, Uklana

Trouble is mounting for JJP turncoats Devender Babli and Anoop Dhanak who are contesting on the BJP tickets, as the saffron party’s local units have been up against them in their respective constituencies.

Soon after the BJP fielded Babli from Tohana segment in Fatehabad district and Anoop Dhanak from Uklana (reserved) in Hisar district, they ran into trouble with the opposition from local leaders of the BJP. Moreover, being former JJP MLAs they also carried the burden of resentment against the JJP.

Babli who served as Development and Panchayat Minister in the Khattar government joined the BJP reportedly at the instance of the senior BJP leadership.

In Tohana, the former BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP, Subhash Barala, who is a bête noire of Babli stayed away from the event of filing of nomination papers by Babli even as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini marked his presence.

In view of the rivalry and tussle between Barala and Babli, it’s unlikely that latter will campaign for the former. Babli had supported the Congress candidate from Sirsa Kumari Selja in the recent Lok Sabha polls and even applied for the party ticket as well but was denied the nomination.

Babli had come in confrontation with the sarpanchs during the Khattar government on the issue of powers to the Panchayati Raj Institutions. As he termed some of sarpanchs as corrupt, they launched a tirade against him and even warned the Congress against giving ticket to him.

Similarly, Dhanak, a Minister of State in the Khattar Cabinet, 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 party, it was evident that he would be leaving the party sooner or later.

Now, the BJP leaders in Uklana assembly segment were taken by surprise when the party nominated him. “We will campaign against him village to village. There are a number of ticket aspirants who have been working to strengthen the party for a long time in the segment. It is an injustice with all of us,” said a number of party workers in Uklana. Notably, Dhanak won the 2014 Assembly elections as the INLD candidate and later joined the JJP in 2018. He also managed to win the 2019 poll on the JJP ticket.

Another JJP leader in saffron fold

Chandigarh: Senior JJP leader and ex-MLA Rao Bahadur Singh on Sunday joined the BJP. Bahadur Singh joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Assembly co-in charge Biplab Dev in New Delhi. Former BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma was also present.