Shimla, June 30: The infighting in the BJP came to the fore during the Parivartan Yatra carried out in the Nagrota Surian area of Kangra district on Friday . The Nagrota Surian area falls in the Jawali Assembly Constituency. Initially, Union Minister for Health JP Nadda was scheduled to address the yatra in Jawali. However, he did not turn up and the rally was addressed by former MP Kirpal Parmar.
Two groups of the BJP in Jawali, one led by Arjun Thakur and other by Sanjay Guleria, put up separate show of strength during the Parivartan rally. Thakur’s group reached the rally early and captured the stage and did not allow the other group on stage during the rally. Even Guleria and former MLA Harbans Singh could not sit on the stage during the Parivartan rally.
There were minor fights between supporters of the two leaders. During the last Assembly elections also, the warring groups had cost the party Jawali Assembly Constituency. While Thakur was the official candidate from Jawali in the last Assembly elections, Guleria contested as an Independent. Both candidates got over 10,000 votes, but the division of votes of the BJP helped the Congress win from Jawali.
Guleria, who is an industrialist from the Baddi area, has been putting up in the Jawali constituency for the last five years and working through his NGO. Thakur on the other hand has been the official face of the party in the area. However, in the forthcoming Assembly elections, once again both candidates are staking their claim for the party ticket.
It remains to be seen how the BJP tackles division among party cadre in the Jawali constituency. Meanwhile, BJP workers from the rival camp of former minister and BJP MLA from Shahpur Sarween Chaudhary today welcomed Nadda at Gaggal airport. They allegedly complained to the minister regarding the diversion of route during the Parivartan Yatra in Shahpur on Tuesday. Nadda came to Kangra today to attend the bhog ceremony of the father of former BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania.
Source Tribune India
