Facing farm heat, three BJP candidates pull out

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, January 31

Facing opposition from supporters in view of the farmers’ stir, three BJP candidates for the municipal council polls at Anandpur Sahib have withdrawn their candidature. They said their supporters had warned them against contesting election on the BJP ticket.

As per sources, keeping in view the anti-BJP sentiment in the area, the party had decided not to field candidates on its symbol in the remaining nine wards of Anandpur Sahib. Of the 13 wards in the town, the BJP in alliance with the SAD had so far been contesting only four seats. After the split, the BJP was this time contesting all 13 wards.

Intimidated by rival parties

They were intimidated by rival parties in the name of farmers’ stir, following which three of them decided to withdraw their names. — Jatinder Singh Athwal, district chief

Last evening, party’s district chief Jatinder Singh Athwal announced the names of four candidates — Rajni (ward No. 3), Praveen Kaushal (ward No. 5), Daljit Singh Kainth (ward No. 6) and Sonika Rani (ward No. 7). Barring Rajni, the remaining three told mediapersons they were not contesting on the BJP ticket. Kainth said his supporters had warned him that they would not support him if he contested on the BJP ticket. He said he didn’t seek the party ticket and would now contest as an Independent.

Similarly, Rani, who got elected on the BJP ticket in the last elections, said she would contest as an Independent and that she had never sought the party ticket.

The party has already released its list of candidates for all 19 wards of the Nangal Municipal Council, while in Ropar, only names of 14 of 21 candidates have been released.

The situation is similar in Chamkaur Sahib, Morinda and Kiratpur Sahib. In Chamkaur Sahib, the BJP had fielded only two candidates in the 2015 polls. One of them won, but later defected to the Congress. This time, the party has conveyed to its cadre to contest as Independents.

The party hasn’t announced its candidates for the Morinda MC and Kiratpur Sahib Nagar Panchayat where polls are being held for the first time.

Athwal blamed the rival parties for the situation. He said no one would be fielded on party symbol at Kiratpur Sahib, Morinda and Chamkaur Sahib.

Facing farm heat, three BJP candidates pull out
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