Haryana elections: Revolt in BJP as minister, top leaders quit over tickets

The BJP faces turmoil in Haryana after changing 40 candidates for the Assembly elections. Senior leaders, including Minister Ranjit Chautala, have resigned over the denial of tickets for the polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing a wave of rebellion in Haryana after it changed 40 of the 67 candidates in its first list for the upcoming state Assembly elections.

The elections, initially scheduled for October 1, will now be held on October 5, with the counting of votes to be done on October 8.

भाजपा की केन्द्रीय चुनाव समिति ने आगामी हरियाणा विधानसभा चुनाव 2024 के लिए अपनी पहले सूची में निम्नलिखित नामों पर स्वीकृति प्रदान की है। pic.twitter.com/DOO2EAtuft

— Haryana BJP (@BJP4Haryana) September 4, 2024

Haryana Minister Ranjit Chautala quits over ticket

The incident has prompted several senior BJP leaders, MLAs, and Cabinet Minister Ranjit Chautala to quit the saffron party over their disappointment with the denial of tickets. Chautala, 79, is the son of former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. On his decision to quit the BJP, Chautala said that he will contest the elections from the Rania constituency as an independent candidate. "I am Chaudhary Devi Lal's son. I have some stature... I have decided to contest as an Independent," he said.

 

Besides Chautala, another prominent name to rebel against the party over ticket denial is Karan Dev Kamboj, the BJP OBC Morcha chief in Haryana. Kamboj, a former minister, stepped down from all posts in the BJP, stating that the party had done “injustice” to workers. He said that the BJP’s dream of securing a third term would remain just that—a dream. "Congress will form the government here…," he said late on Thursday evening.

Ratia lawmaker Laxman Dass Napa quits BJP, joins Congress

Upset incumbent MLA from Ratia, Laxman Dass Napa, also resigned from the party after Wednesday’s announcement of the list. He later met former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in New Delhi and was inducted into the Congress.

Farmer unit chief Sukhvinder Sheoran resigns

Sukhvinder Sheoran, a former Kisan Morcha chief, who previously represented the Bawani Khera Assembly constituency, sent his resignation from his post and BJP primary membership, bidding goodbye to the saffron party late on Wednesday. The BJP leadership in Delhi tried to downplay the resignations.

Richest Indian woman Savitri Jindal wants to contest independently

Former Haryana minister Savitri Jindal, after being ignored for the Hisar constituency, has said she will fight from Hisar, even as an independent.

The matriarch of the Jindal Group and the richest Indian woman, with a net worth of $33 billion, Jindal had switched from Congress to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. She was expecting a BJP ticket from the high-profile seat, but the party chose to retain Health Minister Kamal Gupta as its candidate.

Other top BJP leaders who resigned

Shamsher Singh Kharkhara, a senior BJP leader who unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly polls, also quit the party. Many BJP workers and members are upset by the party's decisions to field turncoats, who have been inducted very recently into the party.

In the Safidon seat, former MLA Bachan Singh Arya announced that he would contest independently and submitted his resignation to the party. The party has named JJP rebel Ram Kumar Gautam from the seat.

Haryana Sports Minister Sanjay Singh, who represents the Sohna constituency, expressed his dissent with the party’s decision to replace Tejpal Tanwar, whom he described as a “land mafia.” He has not resigned but will take a call after meeting with his supporters on Saturday.

Similarly, BJP leader Shashi Ranjan Parmar will meet with his workers today to discuss the roadmap ahead, as he was denied a ticket from the Bhiwani seat. Former Cabinet Minister Kavita Jain, who was also not given a ticket, burst into tears during a meeting with her supporters on Thursday morning.