Chandigarh, July 4:The state unit of the BJP’s open-door policy of welcoming “outsiders” from rival political parties has the “insiders” worried ahead of the Assembly elections likely to be held in October.
Sources said the party’s move on the “mass induction” programme for rivals from various political parties is not going down well with local leaders of the respective constituencies who fear being replaced with the new entrants.
Further, the entry of Jats into the BJP is becoming a bigger cause of concern for its leaders, who maintain that the party was voted to power playing the non-Jat card in Haryana in 2014. By embracing the Jat leaders coming from rival political parties, the BJP is under threat of losing its character and the USP since the Jat versus non-Jat politics works in the interest of the party and its representatives during election time.
Senior state leaders, however, maintained that those joining the BJP were doing so without any conditions and no promises of any kind were being held out to any of the leaders. Sources also said that the entry of outsiders into the party fold should not be a reason for worry among the BJP leaders since they would be given due weightage at the time of distribution of tickets.
Sources added that since “winnability” would be one big criterion for choosing a candidate when it comes to “Mission 75” set by the party top brass for the state Assembly poll, all castes would be given representation and weightage.
Recently, the Indian National Lok Dal has seen exodus of senior party leaders, including sitting MLAs and Jat leaders Parminder Dhull, Balwan Singh Daulatpuria and Kehar Singh, all of whom have joined the BJP. The Rohtak president of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), Dharampal, and the INLD candidate from Garhi Sampla Kiloi, Satish Nandal, also Jats, have switched over to the BJP too.
Sources in the Congress maintained that the BJP was witnessing a trend the party state unit saw in 2004 and 2009 when a number of Jat leaders from the INLD, including former Finance Minister Sampat Singh, joined the Congress. “The BJP is going through the same pattern and is bound to meet the same fate in the long run for failing to retain its identity as a non-Jat option, especially since the party believes in winning on the basis of polarising voters,” said a Congress leader.
Cause for concern
- The BJP’s move on the “mass induction” programme for rivals from various political parties is not going down well with local leaders who fear being replaced with the new entrants.
- The entry of Jats into the BJP is becoming a bigger cause of concern for its leaders, who maintain that the party was voted to power playing the non-Jat card in Haryana in 2014.
