Senior BJP leaders skip meeting with Harsimrat

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 9

Observing that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were not actively campaigning for SAD candidate Sarup Chand Singla in the city, Union Cabinet Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal held a meeting with the BJP’s core committee at a private hotel last evening.

Out of total 11 members of the core committee, four senior party members didn’t turn up for the meeting.

Harsimrat Badal arrived at 7 pm, an hour after the scheduled time of the meeting, only to find senior leaders absent.

Annoyed, the Union Minister also sought the reason for their absence.

The leaders who didn’t come for the meeting were senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal, former BJP city presidents Mohal Lal Garg, Gulzar Singh and Babu Ram Jindal.

Sources in the BJP claimed that Harsimrat asked the BJP leaders to support and campaign for the SAD candidate in the city.

Two days ago, the BJP’s core committee held a meeting at a private hotel in which all leaders were reluctant to support the SAD candidate but no final decision was taken in this regard.

The final call was postponed till the next meeting, which was to be held in 10 days.

A BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said they were surprised to received a call for meeting yesterday and over Harsimrat Badal’s interference in party activities.

While talking to Bathinda Tribune, Tarsem Goyal said he didn’t attend the meeting yesterday due to personal reasons.