Court clean chit brings spotlight back on Haryana BJP chief Badoli

The clean chit by a Kasauli court to Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli in the gang rape case has brought him in the spotlight again, especially in the  BJP politics in Haryana.

With the elections to the  state unit of the BJP and the two Rajya Sabha seats slated to be held soon, Badoli — whose second tenure as the BJP chief ran into rough weather after allegations of gang rape by a New Delhi-based woman against him and singer Rocky Mittal — is back in the reckoning.

Party insiders said the relief to Badoli was a shot in the arm for the Brahmin leader, who along with party’s OBC face and CM Nayab Singh Saini, is credited with the BJP’s first hat-trick in Haryana after the 2024 Assembly polls.

Till January 14, 2025, when the allegations of gang rape surfaced, Badoli’s second tenure as the BJP chief seemed imminent. However, the case against him forced the party high command to consider his replacement though he was allowed to continue “for the time being” till a suitable replacement was found. At one point of time, the party high command considered several names, including Sanjay Bhatia, Manish Grover, Krishan Bedi, Krishan Lal Panwar, Surinder Punia, Ajay Gaur and Archana Gupta, for the party chief’s post.

After assuming charge as the BJP chief in July 2024 after the elevation of Nayab Singh Saini as the chief minister, Badoli led the party to victory for an incredible third term in the 2024 Assembly polls and 10 municipal corporation elections in early 2025, realising party’s dream of having a triple-engine government.

The Brahmin-OBC combination of Badoli and Saini has proved to be a game changer for the saffron party on many occasions. That was perhaps the reason that the party did not ask for Badoli’s resignation even after the registration of case against him on the eve of the Delhi Assembly polls early last year. The BJP’s retention of a “tainted” leader on a crucial post came in for severe criticism in the backdrop of its flagship slogan “beti bachao, beti padhao”.

Now, with the court giving relief to Badoli after a police closure report, it would be difficult for the party high command to ignore Badoli, who could be in contention for a second term as the BJP chief or a Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana.

With elections to the three crucial MCs —Panchkula, Ambala and Sonepat — slated to be held soon, the party may opt for status quo — continuing with Badoli. Badoli represented Rai Assembly segment in Sonepat district before opting out of the electoral arena in the 2024 assembly elections.

His good rapport with CM Saini and ex-CM Manohar Lal Khattar and his performance as the state BJP chief go to his credit. However, there is no dearth of his detractors within the party, who want a member from either the Jat or Dalit community to  head the state unit as these sections overwhelmingly supported the BJP during the Assembly and MC polls.

Whatever fate may be in store for Badoli, he is back at the centre stage of the Haryana politics!