BJP gets tough, issues notices to 6 leaders in Panipat

Geetanjali Gayatri & Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Panipat, May 31

As the BJP zeroes in on its leaders who worked against the party during the Lok Sabha elections, the anti-party activities by local leaders of Karnal and Sonepat was raised at a meeting of the district chiefs with CM Nayab Singh Saini. The Panipat party unit has issued a show-cause notice to six of its leaders.

In action mode

With the Assembly elections only four months away, the party wants its local leaders to fall in line and gear up for the crucial battle scheduled for October while “weeding out” those who “betrayed” the party in the Lok Sabha poll.

Sources said the anti-party activities and the subsequent damage to the party’s fortunes at these seats was underlined by the representatives of the district units who favoured stringent action against all such leaders.

The BJP acting tough against its leaders even before the results are out is indicative of the party’s attempt to send out a strong message that indiscipline would not be tolerated.

With the Assembly elections only four months away, the party wants its local leaders to fall in line and gear up for the crucial poll battle scheduled for October while “weeding out” those who “betrayed” the party in the Lok Sabha poll. The Congress is posing a serious challenge to the BJP, which was locked in a direct contest in most seats.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Panipat district unit has served show-cause notices on six leaders, reportedly involved in anti-party activities in Panipat district, a part of the Karnal parliamentary constituency. BJP’s district president Dushyant Bhatt, however, refused to issue notices to any party leader, but said being a district president, he had the right to talk to his own party leaders.

As per party sources, the district president issued notices to three councillors in the Samalkha constituency and three other leaders, including a member of the Kisan Morcha. He also issued a notice to a former member of the Zila Parishad for not attending former CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s roadshow in his own village. The leader, who did not attend the roadshow in the Panipat Rural constituency at Raja Kheri village, said he had received the notice for not attending the programme. He said the party had asked him to attend meetings of the Election Commission, but a senior leader complained against him and the party issued him a notice. “I have given my reasons to the party leaders,”

he added.

Dushyant Bhatt said being a district president he had asked some leaders about their work during the review meeting. It was an internal matter of the party and leaders would discuss all issues in closed rooms, he stated.