Problems are not over for the BJP in Haryana. Pradeep Sangwan, who had resigned from the party after being denied a ticket from the Sonipat parliamentary constituency, on Wednesday joined the Congress.
Pradeep (43), son of Kishan Singh Sangwan, who remained MP from Sonipat thrice, announced his decision at Gohana in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Sangwan, who had decided to run as an Independent candidate, called to withdraw his candidature to support Congress nominee Jagbir Malik.
"I have joined the Congress. The BJP back stabbed our family. They ignored the family of a tall leader like my father, who had a clean image and was instrumental in building the BJP's base in Sonipat region.
I have also worked hard over the years for this party, but today people who worked tirelessly for them have been ignored and sidelined not just in Sonipat, but in other parts of Haryana as well. Opportunists and turncoats with poor or no track record of working for the masses have been fielded by the BJP in Haryana on most seats," Pradeep Sangwan said.
Sangwan, who was a front runner from Sonipat was ignored by the BJP who fielded Ramesh Kaushik (48) from the Jat-dominated constituency. Kaushik, a former Congress leader had joined the BJP last year. Barring Hisar and Sirsa, which are being contested by its ally the Haryana Janhit Congress, the BJP has put up its candidates on the remaining 8 lok Sabha seats in the State.
Meanwhile, Sangwan said Sonipat BJP district youth, women, Scheduled Caste and farmer cells presidents and some other leaders also resigned from the party to protest against its decision to field Kaushik.
They all announced to join the Congress party, he said. Chief Minister Hooda welcomed Sangwan and all other new entrants and assured them due regard and position. He said the lok Sabha election results in Haryana will indicate who would win in the next State Assembly elections, which are due in October.
Hooda flayed BJP and said party has sidelined those who had been working tirelessly. He also dismissed the opposition charge that his government has only developed Rohtak and Sonipat regions.
He slammed INlD for describing the Congress and the BJP as two sides of a coin and extending unconditional support to BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the same breath.