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Haryana: Cracks emerge in Phogat family ahead of Adampur bypoll
Phogat’s family was hosting a programme to thank the people and her supporters for standing by the family before and after her death. Around 250 people attended the event
The by-election to the Adampur assembly seat in Hisar has brought to the fore rift between deceased BJP leader Sonali Phogat’s siblings, with one promising to toe the party line, while the other announcing to go solo in the bypoll if denied a ticket by the saffron party.
The bypoll to the Adampur constituency is scheduled for November 3. The by-election was necessitated after Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as MLA from the seat and switched sides from Congress to BJP. In the 2019 assembly elections, Bishnoi had defeated Sonali Phogat, who had contested on a BJP ticket, from Adampur.
Phogat was brought dead to the St Anthony’s Hospital at Anjuna in North Goa in the wee hours of August 23. Her PA Sudhir Sangwan and his aide Sukhwinder Singh have been arrested in the case on murder charges.
Phogat’s family was hosting a programme to thank the people and her supporters for standing by the family before and after her death. Around 250 people attended the event.
Phogat’s brother Vatan Dhaka thanked them for supporting his sister in the 2019 assembly polls.
Our family is firmly standing with the BJP because my sister Sonali was influenced by the party’s ideology,” he added.
However, Phogat’s sister Rukesh said she will contest the November 3 Adampur bypoll to fulfil her sister’s dreams.
My niece Yashodhra has reposed faith in me to carry her mother’s political legacy and I will fight the bypoll to fulfil dreams of my sister. Her workers are asking me to contest the bypoll. If the BJP gives me a ticket, I will definitely contest on its symbol, otherwise I will fight as an independent candidate,” she added.
Attacking Bishnoi, she said that she was pained to hear his statement when he had come to attend Phogat’s last rites.
How a politician like Bishnoi can say on a person’s death that she had definitely told her workers to support him before her death. His immature and unethical statement pained me and Sonali’s scores of supporters,” she added.
On September 24, Phogat’s daughter Yashodhra at the mahapanchayat in Hisar said that
without any fear and influence, I announce that my aunt Rukesh will carry my mother’s legacy and she will take care of me also.” ENDS
