The absence of prominent BJP leaders at public rallies backing party’s Chandigarh candidate Sanjay Tandon is raising eyebrows and stirring whispers of discontent within the party ranks.
Former local MP Satya Pal Jain, who was one of the prominent contenders for the ticket, former mayor Davesh Moudgil, social worker Dr Sandeep Sandhu, former party councillor Satinder Singh and former BJP state secretary Satpal Gupta are notably missing from Tandon’s campaign trail, adding fuel to speculations about internal discord.
Despite Tandon’s personal visits to their homes, the expected support from these key players remains elusive, even as the election campaign of his rival from Congress, Manish Tewari, is picking pace.
Since the announcement of the ticket on April 10, these BJP leaders have neither attended any party meetings at the Sector 33 office nor been seen at any public gatherings. Their support for Tandon is also missing on social media.
When approached, the leaders declined to comment on the issue.
However, Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra contended that they were in touch with all leaders and since the election was still six weeks away, they will eventually join the campaign.
Former BJP councillor Satinder Singh, who has a strong affiliation with RSS, mentioned that the party had not assigned him any responsibility since 2014, but he still supported the party.
Within the local BJP, there are three factions: those aligned with Sanjay Tandon, Satya Pal Jain and Kirron Kher. Tandon, Jain, former BJP president Arun Sood and former mayor Anup Gupta were all contenders for the ticket. However, Tandon’s name was selected by the BJP’s central election committee on April 10.
In the 14 Lok Sabha elections held in Chandigarh since 1967, the Congress has won the seat seven times, while the BJP has secured it four times.
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