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BJP reaches out to disgruntled Punjab leaders amid talk of Joshi, others joining SAD
Party’s state affairs in-charge speaks to some leaders who he says had certain issues at the local level
With former Punjab cabinet minister Anil Joshi likely to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) along with some senior BJP functionaries on August 20, the saffron party’s state unit on Wednesday tried to reach out to its disgruntled leaders in an attempt to placate them.
Party’s state affairs in-charge Dushyant Gautam said, “I personally spoke to some leaders who had certain issues at the local level. We have assured them that the senior leadership will listen to their grievances and they should not think of leaving the organisation. Some of them seem to be satisfied.”
The Joshi group claimed that those expected to join the SAD have categorically asked the party leadership to make efforts to establish contact with the ex-minister first. “We are joining the SAD unconditionally. We all are with Joshi. Many of us received calls about not taking the step of leaving the party but we told our senior leaders that the party is not taking Punjab seriously. If we have to live in Punjab we have to speak for its people,” said a member of Joshi group.
Joshi is likely to join the Akali Dal along with senior party leaders such as former Dasuya MLA Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi, former state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) chief Mohit Gupta, Kamal Chetli, the party’s Ludhiana West candidate in the 2017 assembly polls and former Ludhiana deputy mayor RD Sharma.
While Joshi was expelled from the party for six years after his outbursts against the state and the central leadership last month, other leaders are still members of the saffron party.
Also, the party on Tuesday went into a huddle in Delhi with its national affairs incharge calling a meeting with Punjab president Ashwani Sharma along with general secretaries. These leaders are expected to meet party national president JP Nadda on Thursday on the issue.
A senior party leader termed the likelihood of some leaders joining the SAD as unfortunate. “The party should not have allowed it to happen. All these leaders expected to join the SAD have raised the party flag for years despite all odds,” said a former minister.
