Ahead of bypoll to Ellenabad Assembly seat in Sirsa district, political leaders from the area are busy switching parties.
The ruling BJP on Monday welcomed Congress leader Ramesh Badhu into the party fold. Badhu had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 assembly polls on Ellenabad seat on a Congress’ ticket.
On the other hand, BJP leader and former Minister Jagdish Nehra, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 assembly polls from Rania assembly seat joined the Congress.
Badhu joined the BJP in Chandigarh in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while Nehra joined the Congress in Sirsa in the presence of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state party chief Kumari Selja and other party leaders.
Nehra had joined the
BJP ahead of 2014 Assembly polls.
Both BJP and Congress are leaving no stone unturned to strengthen its base in Ellenabad assembly segment, which will go to polls on October 30.
The bypoll to Ellenabad seat is witnessing a three-cornered electoral fight among BJP-JJP joint candidate Govind Kanda, Congress candidate Pawan Beniwal and Indian National Lok Dal nominee Abhay Singh Chautala.
Notably, Ellenabad assembly seat has remained a Chautala clan stronghold.
In 2009, OP Chautala won from this seat but in 2010, a bypoll was held which his younger son Abhay Chautala contested and won.
Abhay Chautala has since then contested on INLD’s ticket and won the Ellenabad seat. He had resigned on January 27 from the Ellenabad seat in support of ongoing farmers’ agitation against three central farm laws and necessitated the bypoll.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait announces protest
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday announced that farmers will protest outside Ellenabad police station on the lines of Karnal and Tohana protest against the registration of cases against farmers.
Tikait said that the cases against the farmers should be withdrawn.
Police had registered cases against farmers after they allegedly misbehaved with BJP-JJP candidate Govind Kanda and other BJP leaders who had reached a Gurudwara on Saturday to offer prayers. Kanda was not allowed to offer prayers at the Gurudwara and was forced to leave by the protestors.
The BJP leaders had alleged that they were pushed out of the Gurudwara by the protestors while the protesting farmers accused BJP leaders of starting the scuffle.