Prominent BSP leaders from Punjab Assembly segments with sizeable party presence met in Hoshiarpur on Friday and formed a five-member panel to convey their concerns to BSP chief Mayawati ahead of forthcoming polls in Punjab. The current state BSP chief Jasvir Singh Garhi was kept out of the meeting and was, in fact, criticised for running the party in an autocratic manner.
The 5-member committee has been tasked to meet BSP chief Mayawati and convey to her the need to rethink seat sharing formula with SAD and to take back former state unit chief Rachhpal Raju, who was expelled for alleged anti-party activities. Rachhpal Raju was thrown from the party for attending the party workers meetings recently in Garhshankar where party workers raised the demand to swap the seats they got under SAD-BJP alliance and Raju echoed the same.
Friday’s meeting lasted over 2 hours and concluded with a warning that if their suggestions are ignored by party high command then they will meet again to chart their next course of action.
The mammoth meeting was held at Shivalik Enclave in Hoshiarpur under the leadership of Thekedar Bhagwan Das Sidhu, which was attended by the senior leaders from Vidhan Sabha segments across Punjab and block-level leaders.
Those in attendance presented their views on SAD-BJP alliance and later the panel was formed with the consent of all those present. The panel included former IAS officer and BSP’s 2019 Lok Sabha election candidate from Hoshiarpur, Chaudhary Khushi Ram, Gurnam Singh Kotfatuhi, Thekedar Harbhjan Singh Bajheri from Ropar, Parshotam Ahir from Hoshiarpur, and a member of the BAMCEF (Backward and Minorities Communities Employees Federation). BSP leaders appealed to Punjab incharge Randhir Singh Beniwal to get an appointment with the BSP supremo so that they can share ground realities of Punjab.
