Ashok Tanwar’s campaign hobbled as BJP bigwigs remain aloof

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Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, May 16

The BJP is facing significant challenges in Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency as it strives to retain its seat. The BJP’s difficulties centre around issues such as lukewarm support from the Kanda brothers, denial of ticket to incumbent MP Sunita Duggal and BJP candidate for Sirsa Lok Sabha candidate Ashok Tanwar’s strained relationships with local BJP leaders.

The major issue is the “superficial” support from the Kanda brothers.

Gopal Kanda, the current MLA of Sirsa and a former state minister, leads the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), which is part of the NDA. His younger brother, Gobind Kanda, is an active BJP leader. In the 2021 by-election for the Ellenabad seat, the BJP fielded Gobind Kanda against INLD’s Abhay Chautala. At that time, Ashok Tanwar, who left the Congress to form his “Apna Bharat Morcha”, supported Chautala against the BJP candidate Gobind Kanda. Despite extensive efforts, Gobind Kanda lost to Abhay Chautala.

So, there is a long-standing “feud” between Gopal Kanda and Tanwar. A close associate of Gopal Kanda revealed that their discord began on September 11, 2011, during a foundation stone-laying ceremony in Sirsa attended by then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Tanwar was upset because his name was not on the foundation stone and left the event before Hooda arrived. When Hooda learnt about this, he refused to get out of his car until Gopal Kanda, then a state minister, fetched Tanwar. Kanda felt humiliated but complied.

Subsequently, during the November 2011 Ratia Assembly by-election, their conflict escalated. Despite Congress’s victory in the byelection, Hooda’s attempts to reconcile Kanda with Tanwar failed. It is widely believed that the Kanda brothers, despite appearing to campaign for Tanwar under BJP high command’s pressure, have not reconciled. This is evident from Gopal Kanda’s recent media interactions, where he only mentioned Narendra Modi’s efforts without acknowledging Tanwar.

Talking to The Tribune, MLA Gopal Kanda claimed that the people of Sirsa had decided to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for a third term and that the election would be one-sided. When asked about his relationship with Ashok Tanwar, Kanda mentioned that he was in a meeting and would call back, but he never did.

Another issue involves Sunita Duggal, the current MP who secured the Sirsa seat for the BJP in 2019 by defeating INLD’s Charanjit Rori and Congress’s Ashok Tanwar. However, the BJP’s decision to give the ticket to Tanwar, a former Congress state president who has switched parties multiple times before joining the BJP, has upset both local BJP leaders and Duggal herself. Although Duggal has publicly accepted her farewell at BJP events, she has subtly expressed her displeasure.

Another issue is Tanwar’s strained relationships with local Congress and BJP leaders. This is evident as Tanwar, contesting on a BJP symbol, is not receiving substantial support from the local leadership. Only the district president, Nitasha Sihag, is seen campaigning with him. Local leaders generally only gather for major rallies. Meanwhile, opposition from farmers could also pose challenges for Tanwar.