Shot in arm for BJP as two Jat faces join party in poll-bound Haryana

In a big shot in the arm for BJP in poll-bound Haryana, two Jat faces, Devender Singh Babli and Sunil Sangwan, on Monday joined the party in the presence of national General Secretary Arun Singh.

While Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) rebel Babli is the former minister in the government led by Manohar Lal Khattar, Sangwan took voluntary retirement from the post of Jail Superintendent.

Sangwan is the son of Satpal Sangwan, a former minister in the state government. They are likely to contest Assembly elections from Tohana and Charkhi Dadri, respectively.

A day earlier, three rebel MLAs of the JJP joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state election co-incharge Biplab Deb at a rally in Jind.

The MLAs who joined the BJP were Ram Kumar Gautam from Narnaund, Jogi Ram Sihag from Barwala and former minister and JJP MLA from Uklana (reserved) Anoop Dhanak.

While all of them had resigned from the JJP, two -- Sihag and Dhanak -- had tendered their resignations from the state Assembly too.

However, JJP’s Narwana (reserved) MLA Ram Niwas Surjekhera, who was booked in a rape case, did not turn up in the rally. Sources said the criminal charges against him were the reason for not joining the BJP.

During the electioneering, Chief Minister Saini, who is leading it by travelling far and wide across the state, is listing out measures taken by the BJP government to compensate the farmers, the Dalits and the poor.

Countering the Congress’ ‘Haryana Maange Hisab’ campaign, he accused the Opposition of spreading lies.

Just two months after the parliamentary elections, politics in Haryana heated with the Election Commission (EC) announcing the Assembly polls for 90 seats in a single phase on October 5.

Political observers say the ruling BJP, which is confident of its return to power with a majority for the third-consecutive term under the leadership of first-time Chief Minister and Other Backward Class (OBC) leader Saini, has been facing anti-incumbency and farmers’ anger.

The BJP’s main rival, the Congress, which ruled the state for a decade till 2014, has an edge over it with the support of farmers, traders and government employees.

Senior Congress leader and two-time chief minister Bhupinder Hooda is working hard to return to power amid the party’s internal ‘war of supremacy’.

Even the AAP has launched its campaign by targeting the BJP government over the issues of unemployment, law and order and the Agnipath scheme.

Contesting solo on all seats, the party launched the ‘Kejriwal Ki 5 Guarantee’ campaign, promising free electricity, free medical treatment, free education, Rs 1,000 per month to every woman and employment for the youth.