BJP may not allot ticket to 15 MLAs with ‘poor image’

CHANDIGARH: As the BJP in Haryana gears up to meet at Rohtak on June 28 and 29 to chalk out the roadmap for “Mission-75”, the target of winning 75 of the 90 seats, in the Vidhan Sabha poll, sources said the party leadership had made up its mind to at least 15 of its sitting MLAs because of their “poor image” in their respective constituencies.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar presides over a meeting of the state Cabinet. File photo

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

As the BJP in Haryana gears up to meet at Rohtak on June 28 and 29 to chalk out the roadmap for “Mission-75”, the target of winning 75 of the 90 seats, in the Vidhan Sabha poll, sources said the party leadership had made up its mind to drop at least 15 of its sitting MLAs because of their “poor image” in their respective constituencies.

In 2014, the BJP had registered victory on 47 seats. If the party goes by its resolve to leave out the poor performers, the BJP will need 58 new faces to field candidates for all 90 constituencies, though the party may like to repeat some of the candidates who lost in 2014, the sources added.

With several leaders from the Congress, INLD and the JJP in touch with the BJP, the saffron party is likely to induct them at an appropriate time so that it could draw the maximum political mileage.

The sources said though several political leaders from other parties wanted to join the BJP, the party was making it clear to them that induction into the party was no guarantee of a ticket in the upcoming Assembly poll.

Meanwhile, the party is readying to determine the roadmap for Mission 75, which includes an extensive drive to add new members to the party and also to induct the leaders from other political parties who are in touch with the BJP after its landslide victory in the parliamentary poll.

Subhash Barala, state president of the BJP, said the nationwide special membership drive for the BJP would begin on July 6 and would continue till August 10. “The process of adding new members to the BJP continues throughout the year. But a special membership drive is launched every three years before the internal elections of the party. The last time it was held in 2016 and I had taken over as the state president in January 2016. This time, it has been delayed due to the Lok Sabha poll. Though a nationwide drive, the membership drive assumes greater significance for Haryana because of the upcoming Vidhan Sabha poll due in October,” said Barala.

Once the membership drive is over, the process would start for the mandal and district presidents and lead to the election of the new state president for the next three years.

Barala said the party would have a meeting of district presidents, leaders in charge of the membership drive of the BJP for the state as well as the districts in the morning session on June 28.

Gearing up for Mission 75

The party is readying to determine the roadmap for Mission 75, which includes an extensive drive to add new members to the party and also to induct the leaders from other political parties who are in touch with the BJP after its landslide victory in the parliamentary poll.