The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered yet another setback in the run-up to the Haryana Assembly elections on October 5 when the state's woman leader Gayatri Devi quit and joined the Congress party.
Devi was angry after being denied a ticket for the Hansi assembly seat. The BJP has fielded Vinod Bhayana, the MLA from the seat, for the 2024 elections.
“When I wanted to apply for a ticket in 2014, I was told to wait for the government to be formed. I agreed and joined the party,” Devi told the Indian Express.
The saffron party has been facing a revolt in Haryana with top leaders, including ministers, resigning over alleged distribution of ballots to 'turncoats' ahead of the October 5 assembly polls.
The uprising was reported after the saffron party released its first list of 67 candidates for the elections on September 4. The party released its second list of 21 candidates on September 10. Haryana has 90 seats in the assembly.
“Nobody listens to party workers in the BJP. Only big speeches are made by their leaders claiming that they have given 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats, but did the women who earned their place get space? The BJP rewards only wives of MLAs or wives of sons of MLAs. And what about party workers who campaign door-to-door?” Devi was quoted as saying in the Indian Express report.
BJP president and Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday launched the party's manifesto with 20 promises for the Haryana elections.
'Tickets for defectors'
Among the Haryana BJP leaders who rebelled over the ticket distribution were State Energy Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and State Social Justice Minister Bishamber Singh Balmiki. The two ministers resigned from the government even as Chief Minister Saini tried to appease them.
The resentment that the rebels are expressing is that the party has favoured traitors over loyalists in the distribution of tickets. The list of 67 names released on September 4 saw the BJP dropping eight sitting MLAs, including the two ministers.
The BJP rewards only wives of MLAs or wives of sons of MLAs. And what about party workers who campaign door to door?
“Vinod Bhayana, who is an unpopular leader, was preferred instead despite many complaints against him. He has destroyed Hansi,” Devi said
“At one point, the BJP was a party based on organisation, but today it has become a party of industrialists. Whether it is Haryana, Maharashtra or Rajasthan, the party is run by 10-15 people,” she said.
