A war of words has erupted within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bathinda following the party’s dismal performance in the recently concluded Municipal Corporation (MC) elections, exposing deep divisions between two prominent camps. The camps are led by former MLA and BJP district president Sarup Chand Singla and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.
Social Media Spat
The feud has primarily played out between Dinav Singla, son of Sarup Chand Singla, and Jaijeet Singh Johal, known as Jojo, who is Manpreet Singh Badal’s brother-in-law. Dinav, in a social media post, highlighted the BJP’s poor performance in Gidderbaha, where the party contested under Manpreet’s leadership and secured only 973 votes across all 19 wards.
Earlier, Jojo had criticized the Singla camp, alleging that the BJP failed to field candidates in seven wards and managed to secure only 16,255 votes across the entire city. He questioned the party’s strategy and leadership in the elections.
Singla’s Response
Responding to the allegations, Sarup Chand Singla said he did not closely follow social media but acknowledged receiving complaints against certain individuals who were allegedly working against BJP candidates. He did not provide specific names or details regarding the complaints.
Counter-Allegations
Jojo, however, questioned Sarup’s strategy further. He asked, “Why did a close aide of Sarup contest as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate, and why did Sarup not field a candidate against him?” This question points to possible internal sabotage and lack of coordination within the party ranks.
The internal bickering comes at a time when the BJP is trying to consolidate its position in Punjab. The Bathinda MC election results have been a setback for the party, and the infighting is likely to further damage its prospects in future elections.
