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Will not contest Haryana assembly polls: BJP ex-minister Manish Grover
Manish Grover announced that he will not contest the upcoming Haryana assembly polls and continue to work for the party. Grover’s decision came as a surprise for local BJP and Congress leaders. Earlier this month, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in a function at Rohtak called Grover as ‘future minister’ of Haryana government.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Manish Grover on Saturday announced that he will not contest the upcoming Haryana assembly polls and continue to work for the party. Grover’s decision came as a surprise for local BJP and Congress leaders. Earlier this month, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in a function at Rohtak called Grover as ‘future minister’ of the Haryana government.
Interacting with reporters here, Grover, a close confidante of former Haryana chief minister and Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said he would continue to work for the party.
“Neither me nor any member of my family will contest the upcoming assembly polls. The party had fielded me from the Rohtak assembly segment five times from 2000 to 2019 and I won in 2014 assembly polls and lost on four occasions. The BJP leadership made me cooperatives minister in the Manohar Lal Khattar government,” said BJP’s Haryana unit vice-president Manish Grover.
Speaking on his differences with Arvind Sharma, former BJP MP from Rohtak, Grover said that Sharma performed well in his Rohtak assembly segment in the recently concluded general polls as compared to other eight assembly segments that are part of Rohtak parliamentary constituency, and he dedicatedly worked for him.
“I have no grudge against him. I am a dedicated party worker,“ he added.
His brush with controversies
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Rohtak police had booked Grover, the then minister of state for cooperatives, his aide Ramesh Lohar, a history-sheeter and others for allegedly attempting to ‘capture the polling booth’ in Rohtak city after Congress candidate Deepender Hooda filed a complaint against them. On court’s order two months after the Lok Sabha polls, Grover, his aide Ramesh Lohar and others were booked under the charges of criminal intimidation, cheating, conspiracy, Arms Act, public servant disobeying law and attempts to capture a polling booth.
In May 2022, Former Rohtak MP Arvind Sharma flagged the issue of multi-crore corruption in Amrut Yojana in Rohtak. He alleged that Grover was involved in the corruption.
“Instead of seeking evidence from me against Grover, CM Khattar should direct a CIA team to arrest Grover, the contractor and his aides. They will reveal everything in a thorough interrogation,” Sharma had added.
A senior BJP leader, who wished not to be named, said the party’s co-in charge for Haryana assembly polls Biplab Kumar Deb has appraised the party high command about Grover’s ‘tainted image’ and gave adverse report against him.
“Grover has a poor equation with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. After Khattar became active in national politics, Grover’s decline started. The party has plenty of options like mayor Man Mohan Goyal, senior deputy mayor Raju Sehgal and many others for the Rohtak assembly seat. Grover indulged in many controversies and a section of people were against him because of his arrogance. Grover was expecting the state president post, but he was ignored,” the party leader added.
