Gurugram: Cong hopes to gain from unrest in BJP’s rank and file over ticket distribution

With the BJP fielding newcomers in Gurgaon, Badshahpur and Rewari, and revolt brewing in its ranks, the Congress sees itself relatively better placed in the Vidhan

With the BJP fielding newcomers in Gurgaon, Badshahpur and Rewari, and revolt brewing in its ranks, the Congress sees itself relatively better placed in the Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled for October 21. The grand old party is hoping that the unrest among the ruling party workers, and anger over the decision to not give a ticket to any of the sitting MLAs from Gurgaon, Badshahpur, Sohna, Pataudi and Rewari, will help it eat into the saffron camp’s vote share.

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On Thursday, BJP’s Umesh Agarwal, the incumbent MLA from Gurgaon, announced that his wife will fight the upcoming election as an independent candidate from the constituency and that she will file her nomination on Friday. Agarwal issued a statement stating that the decision to field his wife was taken after a discussion with his supporters. He had won the 2014 election with a margin of 84,000 votes.

In Rewari also, the party is likely to face trouble as sitting BJP MLA Randhir Kapriwas has decided to fight the polls as an independent candidate. Kapriwas, on Thursday, said he decided to go it alone after his supporters urged him to fight irrespective of the party mandate. “I will fight the election as the party has imposed a rank outsider on the people and workers,” he said.

In the changed circumstances, Congress leaders and party candidates said internal differences within the BJP have exposed the chinks in its armour and that this might brighten their chances during the election. “There is unrest among the workers of the ruling party; the rank and file is clearly demotivated by the ticket distribution. This will help us,” said Sukhbir Kataria, Congress candidate from Gurgaon. He added that the tussle among senior BJP leaders over maintaining their hegemony in south Haryana will certainly help the Congress bag more seats.

Kataria, who was the sports minister in Haryana government from 2009-14, said that the Congress would corner the ruling party over failing industry, lack of jobs, rising crime against women, frequent waterlogging and no development in the sub judice 900-metre area around the ammunition depot.

He had fought as an independent candidate in 2009 and later extended support to the Congress government.

Senior Congress leader Captain Ajay Singh Yadav further said that wherever Congress has chosen the right candidate or not, it has got an edge. “In Rewari, a relative newcomer has been fielded by the BJP and this will greatly boost the prospects of the Congress candidate,” said Yadav, whose son is contesting from Rewari on party ticket.

He, however, said that the Congress could have performed even better if the choice of candidates was made taking into consideration recommendations of local party leaders and workers. “I had suggested 10 names but only three names were finalised,” he said.

Congress is also expecting that denial of ticket to a senior Ahir leader and BJP MLA Rao Narbir Singh in Badshahpur would lead to anger among the rural voters and help Congress gain a larger number of votes. “I am certain that we will perform better in the present situation,” Congress candidate from Badshahpur Rao Kamalbir Singh said.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Rao Narbir Singh reiterated his allegiance to the BJP and said he was a loyal worker of the party.

Responding to reports of unrest in the party ranks over ticket distribution, BJP spokesperson Raman Malik said the party makes leaders, leaders don’t make the organisation. “The individual is not bigger than the party and these actions (of rebellion) will not affect our candidates in any manner,” Malik said.