Former MLA Arun Narang's exit rings alarm bells for Punjab BJP

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, September 24

The exit of Abohar former MLA Arun Narang, who comes from the RSS background, has left the BJP worried in Punjab. His exit has fuelled the resentment among BJP leaders, who say that they are being sidelined to pave the way for Congress and SAD entrants in the party fold.

Party should introspect policies

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Now, the situation has started changing. Arun Narang stood by the party even in the dark days of militancy. If veteran leaders like Narang have left the party, then the party must introspect its decisions and policies. Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, BJP leader

He was a third generation BJP man. “My uncle Kashmiri Lal Narang was active in the RSS and the BJP and had also won as member of the local municipal committee. I joined the BJP’s Yuva Morcha around three-and-a-half decades back at a very young age,” he said.

Narang further said that they had remained loyal to the party even in difficult times and did not want to leave it despite facing humiliation. “But now in a hurry to form the government, the party has left the ideology which we believed in. So, there is no point in remaining in the BJP,” he added.

Narang had defeated Sunil Jakhar in the 2017 Assembly elections and represented the Abohar assembly constituency.

“He started his political career under the aegis of my father Brijlal Rinwa and served at various levels, from the Yuva Morcha to district president of the BJP as well as Sewa Bharti of the RSS,” said Abohar-based former state secretary of the BJP Sandeep Rinwa.

Narang had ‘started feeling uneasy’ after his arch rival Jakhar joined the party last year and was later appointed the state president. He resigned from all official positions of the party, but didn’t leave the BJP. Resentment among other workers and leaders also increased after the BJP announced the list of state office-bearers, which had almost 50 per cent outsiders, comprising Congress and SAD leaders.

Disgruntled workers of the party had even called a meeting on Sunday in Chandigarh office of the BJP, but the party leadership denied permission to them. So they gathered outside the office and addressed the media. “Now, the situation has started changing. Narang stood by the party even in the dark days of militancy. He didn’t leave the party even when he was physically attacked and humiliated by protesting farmers in Malout 2021. If veteran leaders like Narang have left the party, then the party must introspect its decisions and policies,” says BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal.