The BJP high command has launched damage control after Union minister and Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh and his camp boycotted Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's Khet Bachao Abhiyan programme at Agriculture University, Bawal, leaving the party embarrassed in its Ahirwal stronghold.
Event Boycott and Absentees
The event, attended by CM Saini and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saw all three BJP MLAs from Rewari district — Laxman Singh Yadav (Rewari), Dr Krishan Kumar (Bawal) and Anil Yadav (Kosli) — stay away. District BJP president Vandana Popli, several district office-bearers, and five mandal presidents also skipped the programme.
Rao Inderjit's associates cited his ill health as the reason for his absence, while the MLAs offered individual explanations. However, one of the three MLAs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Rao Inderjit was "humiliated" by a series of protocol breaches in the run-up to the programme. Sources claimed that after objections from Rao Inderjit's office, the invitation card was modified and his name was included in the list of speakers, but the changes did little to defuse resentment.
Central Leadership's Response
With the episode causing embarrassment to Saini, the party's central leadership dispatched a seven-member team to Rewari on Wednesday to assess the fallout. The team, accompanied by a senior district BJP office-bearer, fanned out across over 16 locations — including Khori, Bhalkhi-Majra, Shobha Ki Dhani, Basduda, Bhandor, Tankdi, Gujar Majri and Bhadawas — before returning to Rewari for lunch and heading back to Delhi the same evening.
The team contacted over 100 party workers to gather first-hand accounts of Tuesday's events. Several conversations were recorded, suggesting that the high command wants a documented picture before deciding its next move. The team has reportedly submitted its report to the CM, and it is for the leadership to decide whether to act directly or refer the matter to the party's central disciplinary setup.
Political Context and Speculation
Many within the party are interpreting the ongoing south Haryana upheaval as a pressure tactic ahead of a much-speculated Union Cabinet reshuffle. The incident underscores factional tensions within the state BJP unit, particularly in the Ahirwal region, which is considered a key bastion for the party.
