BJP infighting may rise as Som Prakash gets ticket from Hoshiarpur

PHAGWARA: With the announcement of the BJP high command to allot the BJP ticket to Phagwara MLA Som Prakash from the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday evening, the infighting in the BJP could be accelerated as the BJP is being seen divided in two different factions led by Som Prakash and Union Minister Vijay Sampla.

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, April 23

With the announcement of the BJP high command to allot the BJP ticket to Phagwara MLA Som Prakash from the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday evening, the infighting in the BJP could be accelerated as the BJP is being seen divided in two different factions led by Som Prakash and Union Minister Vijay Sampla.

Celebrations are being initiated by supporters of Som Prakash while a silence could be witnessed among supporters of Sampla. Interestingly, neither supporters of Prakash nor Sampla could be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Som Prakash unsuccessfully contested during the Lok Sabha elections 2009 from the Hoshiarpur constituency but he was made the BJP candidate in 2012 Assembly elections in place of senior BJP leader and former minister Swarana Ram. He successfully contested and won the seat. Though Union Minister Arun Jaitley himself came to console Swarana Ram with assurances to adjust him, the latter fell ill after that.

Som Prakash was again given the BJP ticket in 2017 Assembly elections and became a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla entered the Phagwara politics and encouraged anti-Som Prakash workers and supporters of Swarana Ram.

Phagwara had to pay a heavy price due to a political tussle between Som Prakash and Sampla as no development work could be completed due to the infighting. Even the construction of a flyover on the national highway could not be completed even in years due to the infighting between Sampla and Parkash. Sampla wanted an elevated flyover while Prakash was in favour of an overbridge.

Though Som Prakash, a second-time MLA, set his target to make Phagwara as the district headquarters by including Nakodar, Nurmahal and Phillaur and Behram in the new district but it remained a dream.

However, Som Parkash succeeded in providing a municipal corporation to Phagwara. He even got a separate ADC’s post sanctioned for Phagwara so that people did not have to travel for their routine works, but he could not succeed in fulfilling his promise of shifting the bus stand. However, Prakash succeeded in constructing a multistorey parking complex and new auditorium in the town.