Radaur ex-MLA Shyam Singh Rana quits BJP over farm Acts

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Yamunanagar, September 30

While the “anti-farmer” tirade of the Opposition against the BJP-JJP government rages on in Haryana over the three farm Acts of the Centre, it has claimed the first casualty for the BJP with former chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Shyam Singh Rana resigning from the party to stand by the farmers.

In his letter to state party chief OP Dhankar, Rana said keeping in view the farmers’ problems, he was resigning from all party posts and also from the BJP to support their cause.

Dhankar, not willing to merely “accept” the resignation, went a step ahead to underline the “respect” bestowed upon the former CPS by the party.

Accepting Rana’s resignation, Dhankar did not forget to mention that the party gave him a ticket from Radaur, made him CPS and even appointed him the district president (from 2009 to 2014). Since Rana had stated his intention to stand with the farmers, whose interests were being overlooked by the BJP, the state chief said the party was with the farmers and every grain would be procured at the MSP.

In a personal attack on Rana, Dhankar said the former CPS did not extend support to the party candidate, Karan Dev Kamboj, in the Assembly elections held in October last year. Maintaining that Rana’s personal ambition stood in the way, Dhankar said the former CPS was left with no option but to resign.

While Dhankar indicated that Rana’s departure was no loss to the party, sources said bringing up Kamboj’s defeat was an attempt at downplaying the resignation.

Rana said before introducing the new system of agriculture, the Centre should have taken farmers into confidence. He said he was a farmer and could well understand the problems being faced by them in selling their paddy at this time.

“The government knew that the paddy arrival season was approaching. So, arrangements for paddy procurement should have been made in advance so that farmers didn’t face any problem,” Rana added.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the saffron party had denied Rana a ticket and fielded Kamboj from Radaur who lost the seat to Congress’ BL Saini.

The Opposition has already turned the heat on the ruling BJP-JJP government in the state for the three farm Acts. Six former MLAs, including Rana, had recently met and expressed their intention to stand with the farmers.

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