Chandigarh: Voted to power on a non-Jat card in Haryana, the recent stalking incident involving two boys, including state BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas, and the “setback” to the party image since the incident has divided the party along caste lines.
Though the state top brass has stood by Barala, a Jat, so far and dismissed the need for his resignation on the basis that the former has “committed no crime”, murmurings to replace the Jat state unit president with an OBC have already begun to do the rounds among the non-Jat leaders who are unhappy with the handling of the entire episode and its reflection on the party.
Sources in the party say status quo was maintained immediately after the incident to ensure that Barala did not have to face an unceremonious exit and also because BJP chief Amit Shah was busy with the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections.
“Now that Amit Shah is back in Delhi, he will take feedback on the goings-on and seek a report. This could mean the beginning of more trouble for Barala, who has been defended in public by not only the Haryana in charge and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar but other office-bearers also,” a party leader said, adding that retaining or removing Barala would be entirely Shah’s call.
Non-Jat legislators in the party are weighing their options in case Shah decides to have a new president especially since early Assembly elections alongside Parliamentary poll are likely in the state. The state government has completed nearly three years in power and the party would not want to drag the “stalking case burden” to the election season.
Sources say since the party comes with the non-Jat tag, the possibility of an OBC leader taking over the reins of the party cannot be ruled out. The organisation is not keen on Yadavs and the choice, they say, will ultimately narrow down to a Gujjar or a Saini with an eye on consolidating the non-Jats of the state.
Also, elevating a Saini as president will further have the advantage of cutting Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini to size since he seems to take on the government more often than not on the Jat reservation issue and has minced no words in expressing his displeasure over the matter. On stalking issue also, Saini and Karnal MP Ashwini Kumar have openly demanded Barala’s sacking. Other non-Jat MLAs, too, are learnt to be in favour of his removal though they have not gone public with their demand.
As troubles for Barala multiply with the arrest of his son and slapping of charge of attempt to abduct, it remains to be seen whether the faction within the BJP not keen on continuing under Barala will prevail.