After local unit’s protest, BJP makes changes in 11 wards for Ambala Sadar civic poll

A day after resentment was expressed by the Ambala Cantonment unit of the BJP, the party has made changes in 11 wards for the election of Municipal Council Ambala Sadar.

After the first list of candidates was released on Friday night, the BJP local unit and supporters of Cabinet Minister Anil Vij had shown resentment because 15 candidates out of the 32 were those whose names were not on the panel recommended by the minister and the election committee.

Following the resentment, the party issued a revised list on Sunday. While nine candidates have been replaced, wards of two candidates have been changed in the list of 32 candidates.

A senior BJP leader said after the Cabinet Minister raised the matter with the party high command, the list of Ambala Sadar was put on hold on Saturday and a fresh list was released on Sunday.

BJP leader Vijender Chauhan said, “The party has given ticket to the dedicated workers who had been working for the party for the past several years. We are confident that the BJP candidates will win their respective wards and play a vital role in the development works being carried out in various wards on the directions of Cabinet Minister Anil Vij in the Sadar area.”

Meanwhile, Vij said that all the candidates would file their nominations on Monday. They would gather at Agrawal Dharmashala and then proceed to file their papers.

“No other party is in the fray with or without symbol in front of the BJP in Haryana. The Congress has no organisation in Haryana. The party has failed to even select its Leader of Opposition. The Congress will secure zero seats in the civic body elections,” he claimed.

Earlier when the list was released, the local unit had apprised the party high command that it was not satisfied with the candidates announced and had demanded that only those who were recommended by the local unit must be given party ticket. The local unit had also sent mails to the party high command, including at the national level, to mark their resentment.