Punjab BSP losing top leaders, cadre worried

Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 20

The switching over by two-time ex-MLA Chaudhary Mohan Lal, ex-BSP president Gurlal Saila and party’s two-time candidate from Banga Rajinder Thekedar to the Congress has caused a dent in the Punjab BSP.

Chaudhary Mohan Lal had rejoined the BSP in April last year, having  been with the SAD and BJP earlier.  “When I joined the BSP, I found that there was no system within. I started feeling uncomfortable withing months,” he explains. More BSP leaders, it is learnt, plan to quit the party as they too are “disillusioned” with the working of its state committee, which has failed to keep its flock together. 

A former general secretary and 2014 Lok Sabha candidate from Jalandhar Sukhwinder Kotli has been lashing out against his party on the social media. Four days ago, he posted a letter to party workers on Facebook. “Old and dedicated workers of the party are being insulted by the leadership. They are not even being called to party meetings and programmes,” he alleged.

In response to the post, several workers pointed out that the party had lost its orators to rival parties because of “wrong strategies”. Having polled 46,000 votes in 2014, Kotli is learnt to be in touch with other parties. The party’s Anandpur Sahib candidate of 2014, singer KS Makhan, too has moved to the SAD. Its 2014 Hoshiarpur candidate Bhagwan S Chauhan now runs his own front. 

But Jalandhar candidate Balwinder Kumar claims the BSP will surely see a surge in support. “The Jalandhar Lok Sabha in-charge for two years, I have activated my cadre. Also, we are not a single party this time. We are six parties comprising the Punjab Democratic Alliance. Hence, our strength multiplies. We will be able to garner more votes in the three seats that we are contesting”.