Two ‘prominent’ leaders join BJP

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 21

The BJP today succeeded in roping in two prominent leaders just two hours before the announcement of the Assembly poll.

Dura Ram, a former MLA who served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government from 2005 to 2009, and Ram Pal Majra, a former MLA and senior INLD leader, are both being considered significant entries to the BJP.

Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s nephew Dura Ram won the Assembly poll in 2005 and became Parliamentary Secretary in the Hooda government.

After his defeat by a narrow margin to Independent Prahlad Singh Gillankhera in 2009, Dura Ram joined his cousin Kuldeep Bishnoi’s Haryana Janhit Congress.

He contested the 2014 Assembly poll on the HJC ticket and lost to Balwan Singh Daulatpuria of the INLD, again by a narrow margin.

In 2016, Bishnoi merged his HJC with the Congress and Dura Ram, too, accompanied him.

With his joining the BJP, the party has succeeded in roping in a senior Bishnoi leader of the state.

As he is the only leader from the Bishnoi community with the BJP today, political observers believe that he is almost sure to get the party ticket.

If this happens, it will be a setback to Daulatpuria, who resigned not only from the INLD but also as MLA to join the BJP in June.

Sources said that Dura Ram’s nomination is likely to benefit the BJP in the neighbouring Ratia and Tohana seats where voters of the Bishnoi community are present in significant numbers.

Similarly, Ram Pal Majra is being considered a big “catch” for the BJP and the party is likely to field him against Jai Prakash of the Congress from the Kalayat seat in Kaithal district. After failing to get ticket, Jai Parkash had contested the 2014 Assembly poll from Kalayat as an Independent and won.

Five days ago, Jai Parkash along with Ashok Arora of the INLD joined the Congress and he is likely to be fielded from Kalayat.