Two top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Harmohan Dhawan and Satya Pal Jain's posturing just ahead of the announcement of the party's city candidate by the party high command for the coming Lok Sabha elections has left the party cadre puzzled.
According to sources, in the past fortnight, both the leaders have not been attending party functions and taking little interest in the campaigns launched by the party in the city.
It is learnt that Harmohan Dhawan had not participated in the 'One Note Kamal Par Vote' campaign, neither in his locality, nor in any other area of the city, while Jain campaigned, but only for one day. The campaign was launched by party affairs incharge Aarti Mehra on February 10.
Both the leaders could also not make it to the launch of another local campaign wherein party had set up a call centre through which residents could give a missed call at number and, as a follow-up action, party volunteers would go to the callers' home to sort the issue and share party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's vision for the country. The function was held at SAS Nagar on February18.
Both the leaders were also not available at Modi's 'Chai Pe Charcha' programme. "We do not know the reason for their absence, but they have not been able to give more time to party activities," a top leader said, adding that it was happening more often since the party authorised Aarti Mehra and general secretary, organisation, Ajay Jamwal, to recommend names of their choice to party high command.
Local leaders are unclear if the duo had been signalled something by the party leadership.
Both the leaders were also not available at Modi's 'Chai Pe Charcha' programme. "We do not know the reason for their absence, but they have not been able to give more time to party activities," a top leader said, adding that it was happening more often since the party authorised Aarti Mehra and general secretary, organisation, Ajay Jamwal, to recommend names of their choice to party high command.
Local leaders are unclear if the duo had been signalled something by the party leadership.
Harmohan Dhawan, when contacted, admitted that he had been keeping a low profile. "But, it is not true that I have been avoiding party functions and not campaigning for the party," he added.
Jain, on the other hand, said it was entirely untrue. "I have been attending party functions and also campaigning for the party. But I am a practising lawyer and also handling important matters of the party at national level," he said.