Is this end of the road for Anil Vij

The BJP has been giving Anil Vij, its outspoken Haryana minister, a long rope over the years. He has been let off the hook by the party though he has repeatedly breached its discipline.

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However, by slapping a show-cause notice on him for publicly airing his views against Chief Minister Nayab Saini and state party chief Mohan Badoli, the party has sent a clear message to its senior-most legislator in Haryana.

It is the first show-cause notice sent by the party to the minister, who often hogs the limelight for his utterances. During Manohar Lal Khattar’s tenure, Vij challenged his authority on more than one occasion. However, the party effected a compromise and Vij’s concerns—real or perceived—were addressed. The truce between Khattar and Vij lasted the twin tenure of the former chief minister.

However, Vij’s below-the-belt remarks against Saini in the midst of the Delhi Assembly election proved to be the last straw. Realising that enough was enough, the party sent the notice.

Vij, in his characteristic style, bypassed Badoli and sent the reply to the party high command.

The high command is silent on the matter as any action against the senior leader might have an adverse effect on the party in Haryana. Maybe the high command is waiting for the March 2 MC polls to pass before taking a call.

Vij has been at loggerheads with the Khattar-Saini-Badoli trio since being superseded by a much-junior Saini in March 2024 for the CM’s post. With caste factors at play, the high command declared Saini, the party’s OBC face, as the CM candidate ahead of the 2024 Assembly polls. Since then, Vij has not been able to reconcile himself to this.

That is perhaps the reason for Vij’s public outbursts against Saini and Badoli. However, this time, the high command was in no mood to take things lying down. It rushed Haryana affairs in-charge Satish Punia to the state, who reportedly told Vij not to air his views in public. A chastised Vij preferred to remain quiet.

With Vij having replied to the notice, the ball is now in the party high command’s court. Whether it again effects a truce between Vij and the trio or takes a tough stand against the minister remains to be seen.