Tension between BJP, HLP over Sirsa municipal poll
As the municipal elections in Sirsa kick off, tension has emerged between the BJP and Gopal Kanda’s Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP).
Congress calls for applications
A meeting was held at the Congress office in Sirsa on Saturday to discuss the upcoming municipal elections. Leaders, including city convener Rajkumar Sharma, senior leader Veerbhahan Mehta and others attended the meeting. It was decided that candidates wishing to contest the poll for the post of chairperson and councillor must submit their applications with biodata by February 10. Senior Congress leaders, MP and MLA will have consultations to finalise the candidates.
Local BJP leaders are pushing for an independent campaign, preferring to contest the elections solo. In contrast, Kanda and his supporters are asserting that the BJP and HLP will team up for the election, causing a divide between the two groups.
In a latest verbal sparring, Gobind Kanda criticised Aman Chopra, the son of former CM Manohar Lal’s political adviser Jagdish Chopra.
Gobind accused Aman Chopra and his father of not wanting the BJP to win in Sirsa. He claimed that if the BJP loses, they would gain control in the region. Gobind went as far as to say that those who praise Mother India have stabbed the country in the back, referencing their involvement in weakening the BJP’s position in Sirsa. Gobind also mentioned that his father had worked for the Janata Party and BJP for years.
In response, Chopra urged Kanda to support the BJP in the elections if he considers himself part of the NDA. He argued that if Kanda does not support the BJP, it would demonstrate his self-serving political agenda. Chopra reminded Kanda of the support the BJP had extended to him during the state assembly elections, and said it was his moral obligation to return the favour by aiding the BJP in this election.
Meanwhile, several candidates from the HLP have shown interest in contesting the municipal elections. In Ward 3, the candidates include Roshni Devi, Rakesh Joshi, Bansi, and Dr Kulveer Singh Dhaka. Ward 5 sees Suresh Pawa as a candidate, while in Ward 6, Gopi Ram Saini is stepping forward. Poonam Sachdeva and Subhash Chaudhary are competing in Ward 10, and in Ward 11, Rajan Sharma, Amit Sharma and Tarawanti Suthar have put forth their names.
In Ward 12, Himanshu Luthra is a contender, while in Ward 14, the candidates are Angrez Bathla, Naresh Kumar Lala, and Himanshu Luthra. For Ward 15, Hemkant Sharma and Bhim Sain Singla are running. In Ward 17, Manju Jhunthra is contesting, and for Ward 19, Sonia Sharma is a candidate. Mohit Maheshwari and Sonia Sharma are competing in Ward 20, while Manish Kumar is running in Ward 21.
For the position of Municipal Council Chairperson, the following candidates from HLP have applied Kamaljeet Kaur, Harminder Marad, Manti Singh, Raju Ladhwal, Nidhi Pahwal, Balraj Arya, Shanti Swarup Bhatti, Karmjeet Valmiki, and Renubala Valmiki.
