Backstabbed by leaders, say 3 BJP candidates in Uttarakhand; one blames state chief
BJP MLA from Haridwar’s Laksar Sanjay Gupta accused Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik of plotting his defeat in the Uttarakhand assembly election.
RUDRAPUR/HARIDWAR: Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in Uttarakhand have accused party leaders of helping their opponents in the run-up to voting on Monday, saying they either did not campaign for the party or helped rival candidates.
Among the three candidates - all of them are sitting BJP legislators - is Haridwar MLA Sanjay Gupta who pointed fingers at the party’s Uttarakhand chief Madan Kaushik. In a video statement, Sanjay Gupta blamed Kaushik, who is a four-time Haridwar city legislator, for deploying ward councillors and even opponents in an attempt to ensure his defeat. The results for Uttarakhand elections - the state voted on Monday -- will be announced on March 10.
“I thank party high command for reposing faith in me for giving me a ticket for the third consecutive time. But I want to put forth the behind-the-scenes game played by party state president Madan Kaushik against me and some other party candidates from the district so that we lose the election. In his capacity as party state president, Kaushik secretly planned my downfall and that of some other party legislators in the assembly election,” said Gupta.
BJP Haridwar district president Jaypal Singh Chauhan said the video has been brought to the notice of the party high command.
Madan Kaushik, the target of Sanjay Gupta’s attacks, has not responded to the charge.
Two MLAs from Kumaon have also accused the BJP’s local leaders of backstabbing them.
Sitting BJP MLA from Kashipur, Harbhajan Singh Cheema, whose son Trilok Singh Cheema was the BJP candidate from the seat, addressed a media briefing on the betrayal. “BJP’s local leaders are responsible for less polling in Kashipur. They neither conducted canvassing for the party’s candidate nor encouraged voters to cast their votes.” Kashipur seat witnessed 63.77% polling on Monday.
Cheema said his son, the BJP candidate, will raise this betrayal in the party soon to seek action against such leaders who are responsible for weakening the party.
Kailash Gahtori, the sitting BJP MLA from Champawat, also alleged that some local leaders of the party worked for Congress. Champawat polled 66.09% votes on Monday.
He said some local leaders inducted into the party a few months ago in a bid to strengthen the party’s position in the constituency didn’t work in the party’s interests.
“Some local party leaders also assisted Congress rather than the party candidates. I will put up this issue in the party forum with evidence for stern action against them,” said Gahtori.
Gahtori, who won his first assembly election in 2017, was hoping to get re-elected
Deep Chandra Pathak, BJP’s Champawat district president said, “Gahtori must divulge the names of such party’s local leaders whose role was against the party’s candidate. If Gahtori divulges names, I will send their names to the party high command for disciplinary action.”
(With input from HT Correspondent in Haridwar)
