Rift surfaces in Jalandhar BJP unit

A rift in BJP’s local unit came to the fore on Saturday when supporters of two senior leaders raised slogans against each other amid heated arguments near Rama Mandi chowk during the Gandhi Sankalp Yatra. The groups were led by former BJP cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia and former mayor Rakesh Rathore, who is also state BJP vice-president.

Kalia and Rathore were at the rally, but suddenly supporters of both leaders began raising slogans. A video of the incident, showing supporters of both groups arguing and accusing each other of starting a scuffle, went viral on social media. It is reported that Balbir Bittu, a supporter of Kalia, had slapped BJP youth chief Sunny Sharma, a supporter of Rathore. Thereafter, the workers got into a brawl.

In previous elections, Rathore aspired for a ticket from Jalandhar Central, but it was Kalia who got the ticket and he lost to Congress’s Rajinder Beri. Rathore is a close aide of Punjab chief BJP Shwait Malik.

Later, addressing workers, Rathore, in Kalia’s presence, asked them to maintain decorum. As Kalia began his speech, Rathore’s supporters again began to raise slogans, but Kalia continued to speak while Rathore asked his supporters to calm down. Kalia, too, appealed for discipline.

ISSUE OVER PHOTO WITH MALIK

This is not the first instance of their rivalry. Two days ago, at the Gandhi Sank alp Yatra, the BJP leadership was left red faced when Sunny exchanged heated words with senior leadership, including Kalia, over standing in the front row to get clicked with Malik and senior leaders.